The Cleaning Policy That Unlocked Bigger Issues (intro)

During a recent integration between two retail chains, an unexpected operational detail came to light: the cleaning model. Company A had a simple but effective system: store staff handled cleaning and were paid an extra half hour at closing time. This encouraged a sense of pride, efficiency, and ownership, with tidy stores and happy teams as a result. In contrast, Company B outsourced its cleaning entirely. External cleaners came in overnight, and the job, while invisible, wasn’t without flaws. This "magic fairy" approach created more than just agency fees. It introduced security risks, poor key control, and serious compliance concerns. Uncertainty about who was actually doing the work each night or whether they were legally permitted to began to circulate. Integration flagged the issue, quietly reshaped it, revealing a better way already working across the aisle. [Click to read the full story on Substack]