New ‘Made in Asia’ Line of TASKI Floor Care Machines Launched in China

Machines combine innovation with superior design to meet Asia’s needs for a durable and high performance floor-care solution

Yagmur Sagnak Posted on February 22, 2012 in Asia, BSC, Efficiency, facilities, floorcare, Institutional & Laundry, Products/Innovation, TASKI, Uncategorized
by , Regional President, Asia-Pacific, Africa-Middle East, Turkey
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For many years, our customers around the world have relied on TASKI by Diversey products to deliver superior cleaning performance. The TASKI brand is backed by more than 50 years of innovation, proven effective technology, superior manufacturing and reliability. When our customers buy a TASKI machine, they know they are getting truly innovative floor care technology that enhances operational efficiency and delivers clear sustainability benefits.

Recently, I was honored to host more than 100 customers and business partners in Shanghai on the occasion of the launch of a special Made-in-Asia line of our award-winning and comprehensive TASKI portfolio, which ranges from scrubber driers and single-disc machines to dry/wet vacuums and carpet care solutions.

We are extremely pleased that our Asian customers can now benefit from this innovative floor care technology. In fact, our Asian team has built on the TASKI legacy by developing a new line of machines for the region. In China, for instance, many of our customers face unique challenges and requirements when it comes to cleaning and hygiene. China’s high population density and unique environmental conditions create challenging floor-care cleaning requirements. Dirt build-up is greater and climates and temperatures are more extreme. Effective cleaning means that floor care machines need to be built and designed to meet these unique challenges. This is what we have achieved with our new TASKI machines. China is the first stop in our Asia launch of the new TASKI line of solutions and it was a great success. Our team is certainly exciting and looking forward to rolling out the new line in more markets to come.

In addition to the new line of machines, we are also launching a new line of TASKI tools and accessories that caters specifically to Asia’s needs. The range of cleaning tools, which includes cleaning pads, cleaning trolleys, mops and handles, microfiber cloths and buckets, completes the TASKI integrated floor care solution to meet all floor care needs. In particular, the new TASKI cleaning pads, when combined with the new TASKI machines, will deliver high performance cleaning results.

Our company has also gone to great lengths to assure that the quality of the new machines deserves the TASKI brand. We have invested in sophisticated testing equipment and hired a new staff of engineers and quality control specialists to assure that every machine that comes off the production floor in Asia is made with excellence to withstand the conditions to which it will be exposed.

Our new TASKI floor machines include some very innovative and patented features including the V-shape and W-shape squeegee system that picks up 99% of water from the floor and the Intelliflow system which dispenses the right amount of cleaning solution and water onto the floor according to the speed of the machine. This helps to reduce the consumption of water and chemicals by up to 50%.

The new TASKI machines come in a variety of sizes and functionality to suit different scale and mode of operations. They range from the TASKI ergodisc HD®, the rugged single-disc machine that is built with a resilient metal chassis and extra weight to handle the most challenging floor surfaces; to the TASKI swingo 4000, the largest in the scrubber drier range that delivers faster cleaning speed with greater power for large floor areas. The other scrubber driers include the TASKI swingo 350B, a battery-powered auto scrubber with a low profile that can reach under obstacles such as tables or racks; the TASKI swingo 760 with a 40-liter tank, available in a battery-powered or cable-powered model; the TASKI swingo 1260B with a large 60-liter tank; and the battery-powered TASKI swingo 1660 with a large 85-liter tank.

For more information on the TASKI portfolio in Asia, please visit:

www.TASKI-performance.com

For all other regions, please find us at:

www.TASKIbyDiversey.com

Yagmur Sagnak has served as Diversey’s Regional President, Asia Pacific, Africa-Middle East, Turkey (APAT) since January 2011. This region also includes the Caucasian and Asian Republics. Prior to this role, Sagnak served as Vice President, Institutional & Laundry in the former Europe, Middle East, Africa region for more than two years. Sagnak holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Istanbul University in Turkey.
 

A legacy of strength sets the path for the future

Diversey customers continue to count on expertise, superior products under new Sealed Air structure

Pedro Chidichimo Posted on February 17, 2012 in Corporate, Diversey, Efficiency, I&L, Institutional & Laundry, News/Events, Products/Innovation, Sustainability
by , President, Sealed Air’s Institutional & Laundry Business
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Times of change often spark periods of reflection – for individuals and businesses alike. That’s been my experience of the past several months as Diversey has become a part of Sealed Air. Assessing the new opportunities ahead of us has reaffirmed my confidence in our essential strengths as an organization and added to my excitement about the new era we have entered. We are stronger than ever and poised to bring even greater levels of service, product innovation and expertise to our customers around the world.

I’d like to share with you some of my thoughts about what these new and exciting times will bring for the new Sealed Air’s Institutional & Laundry (I&L) business and for our customers.

Same passionate experts and trusted brands, new business alignment

Our new company represents the start of a new era of opportunity for our customers.

We will offer  further innovation, a broader array of trusted brands and deeper expertise to our customers as well as high quality products with excellent service. The I&L business unit of Sealed Air is a global integrated supplier that manufactures and distributes chemicals, tools and utensils, machines, and training and consulting services for the Institutional and Laundry sectors. We continue to deliver solutions in building care, food safety, laundry and infection control for our broad customer base in sectors such as:

  • Building Service Contractors and Facility Management
  • Retail
  • Food Service
  • Hospitality
  • Health Care

Sustainability is our passion

Businesses around the world continue  to recognize sustainability as a competitive advantage and are doubling efforts in establishing sustainability strategies and practices, much in the same way Sealed Air has done for its own business.

Here at Sealed Air, our main priority is to create solutions that enhance sustainability – by improving our customers’ profits through reduced operational costs associated with energy and water conservation, and through waste reduction, regulatory and legal compliance, positive labor relations, and a healthy and safe workforce.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability. Our commitment is to help customers choose the right options for their needs – cleaning and hygiene solutions that help safeguard human health and improve our customers’ operations while reducing waste and saving energy and water. In everything we do, our customers count on our expertise and our commitment to partnerships just as much as they rely on our superior products and tools.

Partnering with our customers

In nearly 20 years working among and leading Diversey’s people, I have been impressed time and again by their genuine desire to fully understand and meet customer needs. Our people work within a rich legacy of more than two centuries of trusted brands paired with industry leadership. We are able to deliver the highest Value creation for our customers being the best at Problem solving and Solutions delivery.

We create Value through:

1. Innovative products, applications and solutions delivering Operational Efficiency and lower total costs to our customers

2. Risk Management programs focused on Labor Safety,  Food Safety and Infection Control

3. Differentiated sustainable solutions

In the coming weeks and months, my colleagues and I will use this blog to share resources, ideas, best practices, innovations, sustainability news and commentaries on trends in the industry. We invite you to join us. Ask questions and let us know what you think, and which topics you’d like us to address.

Pedro Chidichimo is the President of Sealed Air’s Institutional & Laundry Business. He has held executive leadership roles at Diversey and its legacy companies since 1994. He led Global Customer Solutions and Innovation for Diversey from January through October 2011. Previously, he led the Europe, Middle East and Africa region from October 2006 to January 2011, and held several leadership roles in the Latin America business, including a year as the president of that region from July 2005 to October 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidad de Buenos Aires and a master of business administration degree from Universidad Austral in Argentina.

 

In his role as as Diversey's President, Global Customer Solutions and Innovation, Pedro Chidichimo oversees global customer management, marketing, research and development and creation of Diversey's sector-based strategies. Prior to this role, Chidichimo served as Diversey’s Regional President – Europe, Middle East, Africa from October 2006 until January 2011.
 

Portable and Internet Based Tools Critical For Business Success

and customized E-procurement systems

Pedro Chidichimo Posted on July 11, 2011 in Efficiency, Featured, IT, Technology
by , President, Sealed Air’s Institutional & Laundry Business

 

Last week I wrote for the European Cleaning Journal on the benefits for facility management companies of implementing and running IT systems and procedures to improve front and back office operations.

In today’s era of ubiquitous portable technology I am surprised at the low level of adoption within our industry of such easily available resources. Internet based applications can differentiate a business from its competitors through improved service quality, and efficiency and profitability of back office procurement tasks.

Despite the availability of standard or customized internet based solutions I have seen facility management companies and executives struggle with key tasks such as workforce planning, service programming or online purchasing automation.

For a service deployment manager one of the least desirable things is to have a poorly programmed day with resources sitting idle. And for a procurement VP, dealing with more than 100 product and equipment suppliers, the net provides amazing opportunities for automation. Let me explain where I see the two biggest potential areas for facility management companies.

Front end applications for improved service quality

Having worked for many years with the leading actors in the field, I have seen the best innovation coming from tools such as computers or hand-held devices that are simple to operate. Centrally managed and locally deployed, these tools offer a powerful way to achieve optimal work-loading and allocation, labor and cost estimation, inspection, and optimization:

  • Work-loading and allocation: scheduling routine/daily tasks, balancing workloads, generating and printing assignments
  • Labor & cost estimation: calculating employee and budget needs, managing inventory, supplies and equipment.
  • Inspection: PDA and PC-based inspections helping to capture critical observations and identify areas demanding immediate attention
  • Optimization: real-time reporting, employee performance analysis and continuous improvement.

These workforce planning tools allow your facility management company to do more with less, and significantly differentiate you and your business; they elevate professionalism, enhance productivity and improve the level of cleanliness of buildings.

And then there are the labor savings…

Back end applications for efficient and profitable procurement

Knowing that the number of tools regularly used to deploy a good facility management task is just too high, there is a level of complexity that needs to be managed efficiently.

There is a need to enhance cleaning operations through optimization of the supply chain. E-procurement systems are good at this, with the capability to deliver significant benefits by streamlining processes and improving financial performance.

Because there are very few dedicated online procurement systems for building service contractors, my suggestion is to create a small team to research the options available and ask your chosen vendor to customize a system that is right for you.

The main benefits of E-procurement systems are:

  • Standardization and harmonization of product ranges to streamline business processes
  • Control and visibility of spending to lower operating costs
  • Robust reporting to deliver powerful business intelligence
  • Improved operational efficiency and supply chain management.

For one building service company with 2,500 customer locations – spending of 17 million euros with 58 suppliers for janitorial, uniforms, office supplies, etc. – a procurement system designed for cleaning operations supplies and consumables achieved annual product spend reduction of 10 percent and reduced admin processing costs by 80 per cent, saving 346,000 euros per year.

Another European building service contractor was able to reassign 16 full time employees in its accounts payable department by using electronic invoice matching capabilities.

We call upon businesses in our industry to start adopting such tools – for their own sake. The bigger your business, the bigger the rewards. There is nothing riskier than doing things the same old way.

Read the full article in the European Cleanining Journal here.

In his role as as Diversey's President, Global Customer Solutions and Innovation, Pedro Chidichimo oversees global customer management, marketing, research and development and creation of Diversey's sector-based strategies. Prior to this role, Chidichimo served as Diversey’s Regional President – Europe, Middle East, Africa from October 2006 until January 2011.
 

An Update on the Situation in Japan and its Impact on the Diversey Community

Mike Dries Posted on March 18, 2011 in crisis respose, Japan, News/Events, Public Health
by , Senior Director, Global Employee Communications

 

The scale of the disaster in Japan is hard to imagine. The challenges the Japanese people face are multi-dimensional and rapidly evolving. The country’s needs are staggering, with millions suffering. Diversey has approximately 1,000 employees in Japan. We are thankful to report that all of them and their immediate families are safe. Within minutes of last week’s earthquake, our Crisis Management Team in Japan was in place and checking on their safety.

Our Crisis Management Team in Japan has performed at an extraordinarily high level. And we have now put in place a company-wide effort to help the people of Japan recover from this disaster. Diversey has launched a companywide donation drive to support the American Red Cross and it is matching all monetary gifts from employees and contractors.

Priority one is our employees and their families. Then we move on to protecting our customers; then to restoring business operations. Water, energy, transportation, computer access and fuel are disrupted but we are in operation and quickly turning to assisting our customers in every way possible.

Let’s join together to do our part to help the Japanese people to recover from this incomprehensible disaster. We will keep you updated about our efforts in Japan, here and via Facebook and Twitter.

We are receiving regular updates from our employees in the region and continue to monitor the constantly changing situation. Among the many communications we have received was a message of hope, authored by the friend of a Diversey colleague, currently located in Sendai. With permission, we wanted to share this account of the resiliency and fellowship of the Japanese people:

There has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, ‘Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another.’

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains at Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that is much larger than myself.

Mike Dries is Senior Director of Global Employee Communications at Diversey. Mike is heading up Diversey's response to the crisis in Japan.
 

Listening and Responding through Social Media

Werner Linders Posted on February 24, 2011 in Featured, Industries, News/Events, Public Health, Sustainability
by , Director, Europe Middle East & Africa, Diversey Consulting

 

Last Friday I had the distinct opportunity of hosting a session at the Global Food Safety Conference in London on the growing influence of social media on corporate-consumer communications in food safety and other industries. Diversey is a partner to the conference’s main organizer, the Global Food Safety Initiative, which every year brings together more than 600 food safety specialists from more than 40 countries to discuss the trends and issues impacting food safety. Many of the world’s leading manufacturer’s of food and beverage products are in attendance.

Joining me for the session were Robbie Vorhaus, internationally recognized management consultant and crisis communication expert, and Jean-Jacques Vandenheede, senior retail industry analyst for ACNielsen Europe specializing in mapping the changes that affect the grocery retailing industry.

We had a very interesting dialogue and discussion, which began with a review of a well-known food outbreak case study in the United States – when a huge amount of attention was focused across multiple channels in a compressed timeframe – and offered some examples of best practice responses to food borne illness and contamination.

In January 2009, after five people had died and more than 400 people had fallen ill due to salmonella contamination, the Peanut Corporation of America issued a recall for products made over the previous six months. The recall was later extended to over 400 consumer products made in the previous two years.

What made this particular case study unique was the significant spike in attention it drew in the social media universe. Consumers used a variety of social media channels to discuss and voice opinion about the recall. The FDA Peanut Butter Recall widget was used 1.4 million times in 9 days, and appeared on more than 5,000 different websites. FDA’s Peanut Butter Recall blog received over 14,000 total page views within a month of the recall announcement.

Because the peanuts processed by the Peanut Corporation of America were sold to many food companies for use in various products, major consumer brand companies reacted to the outpouring of opinion in different ways. Some used the opportunity to engage with consumers in unprecedented, highly-transparent communications. Unlike many previous recalls, companies not responsible for contaminated products also used social media to protect their brands from negative association.

Our panel of social media experts offered some interesting perspectives on this case study and provided some good lessons for everyone – corporations and consumers – about the role of this growing media channel in food safety discussions. Here are a few highlights of their comments:

Jean-Jacques Vandenheede pointed out that to have real credibility in a crisis a company should have an evergreen presence, “sharing examples of positive things going on with the product, so you’re more credible when things are in crisis.”

Robbie Vorhaus: “If you’re a market driven company, social media is a tool to listen. You want to listen. You may not always like what you hear. But if you’re intent is to grow and be a market leader, you need to be willing to take the risk.”

Jean-Jacques: “This is a learning zone for everyone. It’s new for everybody. It’s new for us, for companies and users. We’re going to have to see over the next couple of years how this will evolve and no one is sure yet.”

Robbie: “We have not been used to communicating this way as corporations. Over time, the conversation will become more flowing and two-way.”

Jean-Jacques: “If you, as a company, as a brand, follow your heart and tell your story, you can change the world.”

You can view slides related to the case study presented here: http://scr.bi/SMediaGFSC

In May 1999 Werner joined DiverseyLever Consulting with the responsibility for the development of the food safety and brand protection consulting business within Asia Pacific. In 2001 he returned to Belgium to take up the lead role for JohnsonDiversey Consulting - Europe. In 2005 this was expanded to include Middle East & Africa. He is a member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Technical Committee (Paris, France).
 

Diversey’s Unique Portfolio Management Approach to Sustainability

Daniel Daggett Posted on March 10, 2011 in Featured, Green, News/Events, Sustainability
by , Ph.D., Manager of Corporate Sustainability at Diversey, Inc.

 

The GreenBiz Executive Network is a peer-to-peer forum of senior sustainability executives from over 50 large companies. In a recent Network meeting I discussed how sustainability, by its very definition, has an economic return on investment (ROI). At Diversey, we see sustainability through an innovation lens, enabling us to solve old business problems with new solutions.

Integrated Bottom Line

We measure returns on sustainability investments with a focus on an Integrated Bottom Line. This concept is derived from triple-bottom-line accounting, whereby environmental, societal, and economic factors are considered together. Investments to improve social and environmental performance are measured on a financial balance sheet—instead of treated separately. We first embraced this concept whilst working with Natural Capitalism Solutions.

A great example of the integrated bottom line is investment in energy efficiency to address climate change.  Diversey uses a unique portfolio management approach to deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and an attractive economic ROI. This approach leverages existing capabilities, fosters growth and increases shareholder value.

A student charts the rise in global carbon dioxide emissions during a school presentation by Dan Daggett

Climate Savers

Three years ago, Diversey became a member of Climate Savers, the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) rigorous greenhouse gas reduction program and—along with more than 30 other Climate Savers corporations—established ambitious targets to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A year later we were able to triple this commitment, thanks to the diligence and commitment of our staff, and a continuous cycle of waste reduction measures funding further waste reduction measures.

In order to be accepted into the Climate Savers program, we had to make four commitments in addressing climate change:

  • Make a challenging, measurable reduction in its emissions within a specified time frame
  • Be accountable through a third party validation process
  • Partner with customers and suppliers to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and
  • Share what we learn and encourage others in the industry to achieve similar emission reductions

To deliver the aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets, Diversey’s portfolio management approach helps prioritize energy efficiency projects. Instead of evaluating each efficiency project individually, opportunities are analyzed as part of a long term strategy that balances the speed and volume of financial return with the cost of the carbon investment across an entire portfolio of projects. This approach reduces uncertainty and risk through diversification, addresses regional  electricity cost variation, increases opportunity by looking beyond just the ‘low hanging fruit’ and most importantly allows for a predictable and reliable rate of return.

Corporate commitment to sustainability motivates employees, drives innovation and creates a sense of purpose

The economic aspects of energy efficiency are easy to measure.  However, some sustainability programs may not seem to provide immediate ROI until more qualitative returns are considered.  The integrated bottom line can facilitate such analysis. Doing the right thing is good for business—it is sustainable in the truest sense of the word. For example, Diversey’s Global Children’s Initiative seeks to improve the lives of 1 million children; we have found that this program encourages employee volunteerism and staff engagement. Diversey’s Target Zero program, while seeking to eliminate workplace injury, creates a safer work environment, improves the lives of employees, and reduces costs to the company. For numerous other examples of the ROI of sustainability measures that exist across Diversey, check out our Global Responsibility Reports at http://bit.ly/DivRespReps

To read more about my presentation to the GreenBiz Executive Network, here is a brief summary: http://bit.ly/DDaggettGBiz

Daniel Daggett, Ph.D. is Manager of Corporate Sustainability at Diversey, Inc., where he is responsible developing and implementing sustainability strategies across the business. Dan received the Samuel C. Johnson Global Environmental Award for his product stewardship work in the Global Product Safety department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology.