Technology and Innovation in the Cleaning Industry

At a major event held at Gabriel Hall in Ness Ziona, Tavas, Israel’s leading and longest-established cleaning company and part of Electra FM, unveiled a technological innovation vision set to redefine Israel’s cleaning industry. Around 400 clients and senior industry figures attended the “News and Innovation” conference, which presented advanced strategies for technological integration to tackle unprecedented structural challenges. Beneath the conference’s modest title lay a genuine revolution in an industry traditionally viewed as conservative.

“Even cleaning has its logic”, stated Ilan ShimoniCEO and founder of Tavas, in his keynote speech—a phrase that became the event’s motto. Ilan, leveraging four decades of industry experience, provided an extensive analysis of current market conditions, noting: “A projected shortfall of 121,100 cleaning workers by 2031 creates significant supply-demand dissonance.” He emphasized demographic challenges, highlighting that 39.41% of workers belong to Generation X (ages 40-55), just 4.59% from Generation Z (ages 18-28), and an unexpectedly high 13% from the Silent Generation (ages 70-85). “Such dramatic labor shortages represent a strategic crisis”, Ilan warned.

His market overview included an analysis of worker shortage implications: growth in the “shadow economy”, exponential increases in service costs, the concentration of labor in attractive employment hubs, and threats to business continuity. “We face a new paradigm requiring a fundamental rethink of traditional employment models”, he noted.

Ilan introduced four strategic solutions spearheaded by Tavas: accelerating technological innovation through dedicated units and direct technology imports; institutionalizing a “living wage” norm over minimum wage; securing permits for employing foreign cleaning workers (Tavas has obtained 24 permits); and enhancing the profession’s image through internal training and emphasizing job importance.

Discussing robotics, Ilan clarified, “Robots can replace cleaning staff for specific tasks, but not supervisors. When calculating ROI, we must consider more than financials—robotics’ contributions to employee retention, reducing physical strain, and enabling higher-quality cleaning are critical”.

However, Tavas did not merely present challenges; it primarily showcased technological solutions ready for immediate implementation. A core question hovered throughout: how technological integration can transform a traditionally conservative sector?

Danny Tzur and Dor Gabai from Elad Data introduced advanced AI applications for resource analysis and optimization in cleaning services. “ROI in robotics implementation extends beyond simple workforce replacement,” they explained. “It involves reallocating resources, enhancing cleaning quality, and shifting human resources to high-value tasks”. A practical demonstration of real-time analytics assessing the economic viability of robotic integration highlighted the technology’s potential.

Daniel Danny, CEO of Electra FM, expanded the perspective by presenting the Integrated Facility Management (IFM) model as a holistic solution for facility management. “Integrating Hard Services, asset management, Soft Services, project management, MaaS, and BPO creates operational synergy and significant client value”, Danny stated.

Danny underscored the benefits and unique challenges of mixed-use facilities. “Today’s buildings are complex, with diverse user needs—commercial, residential, offices—all requiring different standards”, Danny said, asserting that Electra FM is uniquely capable of managing such complexity, with Tavas integral to this IFM model.

He outlined five key benefits of the integrated model: substantial operational cost savings, professional excellence across all service domains, flexible client-focused operations, holistic client experience, and minimized operational risks. Danny noted that the main challenge remains significantly changing clients’ perceptions.

This model allows organizations to focus on their core businesses while Electra FM manages comprehensive maintenance and services innovative and efficiently.

The event’s highlight was Avi Yeshurun, Tavas’s Head of Innovation and Technology, who detailed the company’s multi-phase approach to technology implementation since February 2024. “Our innovation journey is rooted in systematic research and direct imports of groundbreaking technologies, tailored to local market needs”, he explained.

Avi outlined five strategic milestones: participating in INTERCLEAN Amsterdam for tech scouting, forming strategic partnerships with international leaders, developing the TPT (Time Per Task) methodology for precise standard-time mapping, Tavas’s recognition in the JDC’s 360 Innovation Leaders Program (with partners including the Technion, Ministry of Economy, Innovation Authority, and National Digital Array), and the 2025 strategic plan involving project completion, attending China’s cleaning exhibition, direct technology imports, and establishing an internal innovation community.

Central to this methodology is the innovative TPT project, providing analytical mappings of optimal cleaning task timings. “This is Israel’s first accurate analytical mapping of cleaning tasks”, Avi emphasized. “Empirical data enables data-driven work planning, resource optimization, and precise ROI calculations for technology implementation”.

The event concluded with a guided tour of 14 innovation stations, allowing participants hands-on experiences with autonomous robots for sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming, advanced mop systems, miniature scrubbers, and AI-based predictive cleaning management platforms for restrooms and kitchenettes.

Operational managers and decision-makers expressed significant interest in presented solutions, viewing technological innovation as strategic necessities, not luxuries. “These technologies offer substantial resource optimization opportunities”, noted an operations manager from a leading tech firm.

Highlighted innovations included VIGGO’s autonomous street-sweeping robots, Kemaro’s differential waste collection robots suitable for complex environments, I-TEAM’s unique cleanroom-approved cleaning robot (recently launched in the Netherlands), and PUDU’s autonomous robots uniquely integrated with Electra’s elevators.

“Our strategic vision is not to replace human resources”, Ilan emphasized. “Robotics can handle certain cleaning tasks but cannot replicate a skilled cleaner’s added value. The goal is to transform cleaning into an advanced profession blending technological expertise with high-quality service”.

Demonstrations also illustrated technology’s positive impact on cleaning roles, significantly enhancing skills, job satisfaction, and operational expertise. One veteran employee noted, “My role has evolved substantially. Now, I manage technology rather than performing all manual tasks, significantly increasing my professional satisfaction”.

Among innovations, participants showed particular interest in the “cleaner’s battle vest” concept, currently under development by Tavas, combining advanced equipment, automation, and ergonomic tools, symbolizing the evolution from traditional cleaners to advanced cleaning technicians.

Closing the event, Ilan distributed his professional book, “A Brief History of Cleaning“,

concluding with a Passover toast and summarizing the industry’s revolutionary moment: “Technology doesn’t replace humans; it repositions cleaning as a technologically advanced profession essential to the economy”.

“One who worries about days sows wheat, one who worries about years plants trees, one who worries about generations educates the market”, Shimoni quoted in his speech, a statement reflecting Taves’ long-term strategic vision. This vision expresses the company’s commitment to leading structural transformation in Israel’s cleaning industry – a change based on 40 years of accumulated expertise and oriented toward a future of technological integration, sustainability, and operational efficiency.

Taves’ “News and Innovation” conference is not just a one-time event, but a milestone in the development of Israel’s cleaning industry. In an era where workforce challenges, environmental quality, and customer expectations are higher than ever, implementing advanced technologies and innovative thinking are not just a competitive advantage – but a business and strategic necessity. The main message of the conference was clear: The future belongs to companies that embrace innovation, integrate technology, and place the human factor at the center, as part of a complete ecosystem of integrative solutions.