5 Tips to Make the Business Case for Purchasing Your Next Cleaning Machine

June 23, 2022 3:22 PM by Tennant Company

Posted in Staffing & Personnel, Best Practices, Productivity,

Large purchases can quickly encounter red tape. That’s certainly the case when it comes to acquiring a new floor cleaning machine for your store, restaurant, school, warehouse, or other space.

The best tool to cut through red tape and win the approval of stakeholders is a well-articulated argument or business case for why a mechanized mop, ride-on floor scrubber, or autonomous floor cleaning machine from Tennant Company is the right choice for your organization — and why now is the time to make that purchase. Read on for five expert tips on how to explain the value of a floor cleaning machine to stakeholders in your organization and build your business case for new floor cleaning machines.

Understand Your Organization’s Budget Cycle

Timing is everything—especially when it comes to large capital expenditures for your organization. Your organization’s normal cleaning expenses, like detergents and staff time, occur on a regular basis as part of your OpEx (operating expense) budget. Larger, one-off purchases of machinery are classified as CapEx or capital expenses. When building your business case for floor cleaning machines and CapEx purchases it is important to plan ahead.

The first step is to understand your organization’s fiscal year and start your work early to get budget earmarked for the following year’s fiscal cycle. On the flip side, you may be able to leverage a budget surplus near the close of a fiscal year to purchase a Tennant Company floor cleaner for your organization.

Articulate the Value of Dual-Purpose Floor Cleaners

Will the purchase of a new Tennant Company machine allow your organization to downside its floor cleaning fleet or replace two machines with one? If so, articulate that fact — and the associated savings — to management.

One example is the Inventory Scan from Tennant, powered by BrainOS®, that turns your Tennant AMR robotic floor scrubber into an automated inventory management solution. It can’t stock the shelves—but it can provide staff with a detailed directive of what’s needed where, what products are in the wrong place, and what promotion signage may be inaccurate or out of date. Communicating how your new floor cleaning machine can do more than one task could help stakeholders loosen the purse strings.

Convey the Benefits of a Floor Cleaning Machine

Financial stakeholders in your organization must balance requests from myriad departments — and they may not be familiar with the ins and outs of what those departments do on a daily basis. That can be especially true in the case of custodial and maintenance staff.

Stakeholders may not care about the details of a floor scrubber’s cleaning width or water capacity — but they do care about the benefits those features will deliver for your organization. Instead, concisely explain how an autonomous floor cleaning machine allows staff to rededicate their time to high-touch areas while the machine quickly and quietly scrubs floors, navigating obstacles in its way. This can help your organization maintain a higher standard of cleanliness—all without increasing the payroll for custodial staff. This argument will likely strike a chord with stakeholders as organizations in nearly every industry grapple with staffing shortages.

Explain How a Floor Cleaning Machine Will Benefit the Bottom Line

Ultimately, though, it may take a dollars-and-cents to win the approval of C-suite stakeholders. And when that’s the case, you have a winning argument: Cleaner floors can boost your organization’s bottom line regardless of your industry. According to the Food Industry Association (FMI), 74% of shoppers expect a store to be clean and neat. Dirty floors could turn away up to three-quarters of your customer base. Within healthcare, cleanliness plays a significant role in the perception of a facility and can even impact patient satisfaction.

Even if your business spaces aren’t public facing or revenue generating (for instance, warehouse facilities or public schools), there’s still money on the line. Dirty warehouse floors can lead to dust and debris on products — leading to potential damage or inventory loss. And when it comes down to it, schools are constantly working to attract and maintain a student population. Clean hallways and entryways set the stage for a nurturing, successful education environment.

Account for Startup and Upkeep Costs

Stakeholders evaluating your request to purchase a floor cleaning machine will surely want to know what ongoing maintenance costs must be budgeted for. Explain how Lithium-Ion or flooded lead acid battery choice affect the total cost of ownership (TCO) for your organization.

Your proposal should also budget staff time for training staff on use and upkeep of your new floor cleaning machine. This is especially important if you’re looking to incorporate a new type of technology that’s not currently a part of your organization’s floor cleaning fleet—like a robotic floor scrubber. Conversely, attach a dollar value to the labor costs that can be saved or reallocated once floor cleaning becomes a less time-intensive affair.

Resources to Help You Navigate the Buying Journey

The decision to purchase a new floor cleaning machine can have a big impact on your organization’s budget and its ability to better perform its core mission. Ready to take the next step on helping your organization have cleaner, more attractive facilities — all while reducing labor costs and lowering TCO? Learn more about floor cleaning machines from Tennant Company.

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