Client Since: 2016
Facility Type: Corporate Campus
Size: 1.2M Square Feet
Market: Office, Administrative, Lab, and Corporate Campus Environment
For nearly a decade, Harvard Maintenance has served as a trusted cleaning consultant for an innovative global imaging solutions leader, supporting a 1.2M square foot corporate campus through years of changing building usage, evolving occupancy needs, and shifting operational priorities.
Originally partnering with Harvard due to quality concerns with the previous cleaning program, the client needed a more consistent, professional, and standards-based approach to facility maintenance. Harvard quickly stabilized the program, elevated the scope of work, and implemented a service model focused on quality, accountability, and long-term value.
As the client’s campus needs continued to change, Harvard remained a proactive partner, helping the organization reassess how its buildings were being used and where service delivery could be optimized without negatively impacting the occupant experience.
Challenge
Over time, the client’s corporate campus experienced significant changes in occupancy, space utilization, and operational priorities. Areas that once required traditional cleaning frequencies no longer had the same level of daily usage, while other spaces, including labs and administrative areas, required careful attention and consistency.
The client needed a solution that would reduce costs while preserving the quality and reliability of the cleaning program. With new ownership and continued changes across the campus, Harvard was asked to help evaluate the existing scope, identify efficiencies, and develop a leaner, smarter cleaning model aligned with current building usage.
The goal was clear: reduce cost without compromising the end-user experience.
Harvard Solution
Harvard conducted a detailed review of the campus cleaning program and worked closely with the client to right size the scope of work based on actual building usage, occupant needs, and service priorities.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, Harvard optimized the program by tightening routes, reducing low-value tasks, and aligning labor hours with the areas of greatest impact. In large office and cubicle areas, vacuuming frequencies were adjusted where appropriate, allowing resources to be focused where they mattered most.
Harvard also helped the client better utilize the building by implementing centralized trash collection and closing restrooms that were not being used. These adjustments helped streamline service delivery while supporting the client’s broader goals for operational efficiency.
For the floor care program, Harvard recommended using an ASP partner instead of employing a full-time floor technician. This approach gave the client access to specialized floor care support when needed, without carrying unnecessary fixed labor costs.
Harvard also reinvested in the facility by reallocating savings toward innovative equipment and higher-performing tools. This included equipment selected to reduce the cost and inefficiency of transporting machines from site to site, further improving productivity across the campus.
Throughout the process, Harvard’s account manager and multi-level operations leadership maintained consistent communication with the onsite team and client stakeholders. Regular walkthroughs, proactive check-ins, and responsive issue resolution helped ensure the optimized program continued to support a clean, safe, and welcoming environment.
Results
Harvard’s consultative approach delivered measurable value for the client, resulting in significant cost savings while maintaining the quality and consistency of the cleaning experience.
Key outcomes included:
- Significant cost savings through scope optimization, labor alignment, and smarter resource planning
- Rightsized cleaning scope based on actual building usage and client priorities
- Reduced labor hours by tightening routes and eliminating low-value tasks
- Improved building utilization through centralized trash collection and the closure of unused restrooms
- Flexible floor care model using an ASP partner instead of a full-time floor technician
- Reinvestment in innovative equipment to improve productivity and reduce unnecessary transport costs
- Consistent occupant experience despite changes in scope and campus utilization
- Ongoing consultative support through onsite management, regional leadership, and proactive communication
A Long-Term Partnership Built on Optimization
Since 2016, Harvard has continued to evolve with the client’s needs. What began as a quality improvement opportunity has grown into a long-term partnership centered on transparency, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
As the campus has changed, Harvard has remained a trusted advisor, helping the client make informed decisions about cleaning frequency, staffing, specialty services, equipment, and building utilization.
By combining service excellence with performance optimization, Harvard helped the client reduce costs while preserving the experience of the people who use the space every day.
With Harvard, the client gained more than a cleaning provider. They gained a partner committed to helping them create a cleaner, smarter, and more efficient workplace.