Updates from the Leading Association for the Cleaning Industry Worldwide

ISSA Forms Alliance With PRSM

ISSA has formed an alliance with the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM).

“We are pleased to announce this new cooperative agreement between ISSA and PRSM, a group of elite retail-maintenance professionals,” said ISSA Executive Director John Garfinkel. “I look forward to further dialogue between us toward mutually beneficial efforts for our associations and our memberships. We believe the cleaning expertise of ISSA’s members, both on the product and service sides, can provide great value for PRSM’s members.”

The alliance with PRSM is another milestone in ISSA’s strategy to create stronger connections with the facilities-management communities. PRSM and ISSA will work together to educate members on the value of both associations. This alliance will also create a broader awareness of ISSA and its members within the retail-maintenance field.

“We are very excited to have an alliance with ISSA, who is a leader in the cleaning industry,” said PRSM Executive Director Patricia Dameron. “This partnership will enable our membership to become more familiar with the cleaning industry and to share their expertise with both our retail and vendor members. We look forward to working with ISSA to provide our members with quality information and education on cleaning issues.”

ISSA exhibited at the recent PRSM2009! conference in Phoenix, AZ, and PRSM will exhibit at ISSA/INTERCLEAN^® North America 2009, October 6-9, in Chicago, IL. PRSM members will also be invited to attend the annual ISSA tradeshow, and the association will present a retail-maintenance-focused session at the ISSA Education Theatre during the show, on Thursday, October 8, at 10:30 a.m.

Outside of their annual events, the associations will exchange articles in each other’s membership publications and work together to develop educational offerings regarding cleaning in the retail sector.

New Look for ISSA.com Home Page

Have you checked out the new home page at ISSA.com? Launched in late April, the result is a modern, visually appealing page that features improved navigation and faster loading. The new design helps users find topical content and the industry’s latest news quickly and effectively. While perusing the new home page, don’t forget to check out other recently developed, industry-leading content, including:

• Green Cleaning Resources — Review green cleaning policies, certifications, and articles;
• A new group on LinkedIn — Connect with the industry on the “ISSA-The Worldwide Cleaning Association” networking group;
• Green Product Showcase — Seek out the latest green cleaning products in this visual listing linked from the ISSA.com Buyers’ Guide;
• A new Spanish-language Web site — Review essential cleaning information, all in Spanish, geared toward Latin American industry members; and
• Association information in multiple languages — View ISSA-member content in German, French, Dutch, and Polish.

Point your browser to ISSA.com today to discover why it’s the cleaning industry’s finest online resource!

ISSA Announces Latest Group of CIMS Certification Experts

ISSA has announced the first group of individuals in 2009 to achieve certification as official Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) ISSA Certification Experts (I.C.E.). This addition brings the total number of experts to 368 individuals representing 43 U.S. states and Canadian provinces as well as Mexico and the Caribbean.

A new interactive map containing a full listing of CIMS experts and their contact information is available.

Becoming a certified CIMS expert positions an individual to provide training or consulting services to those cleaning organizations interested in complying with and preparing to certify to CIMS — a consensus-based industry standard that sets forth the universally accepted management principles proven to be the hallmarks of well-managed and customer-centered cleaning organizations.

“Achieving CIMS I.C.E. certification has proved tremendously valuable to many industry professionals,” said ISSA Director of CIMS Dan Wagner. “I am confident that the most recent crop of certified individuals will take advantage of their new knowledge and join those who are presently helping customers improve operations and save money by leading them through the CIMS-certification process.”

To become a CIMS expert, professionals within the cleaning industry must attend a one-day workshop and pass an examination regarding the management elements contained in the Standard. The CIMS-expert designation is earned by and applies to an individual professional and not to an entire organization.

Additional Workshop Scheduled for June 25 in Philadelphia

Additional 2009 I.C.E. workshops will be held in Philadelphia, PA, June 25, at the Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport, and in Chicago, IL, October 5-6, at McCormick Place (in conjunction with ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America 2009; please note that this program will take place on the afternoon of October 5 and the morning of October 6), and registration for both sessions is now open! For more information regarding the 2009 schedule or to register, please visit ISSA.com or contact Annie Balonick at 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800; e-mail.

About Certification

To become certified, an organization must submit written documentation supporting its compliance with the requirements described in the five key sections of the Standard. An independent, accredited assessor then conducts an on-site review of the applicant’s systems, processes, and documentation to ensure compliance. To achieve certification, an organization must meet 100 percent of the mandatory elements and 60 percent of the recommended elements, per section.

There are currently 32 organizations that have achieved certification. Other organizations interested in pursuing certification are encouraged to submit an application to officially enroll in the program. For more information or to download an application, please visit www.issa.com/

standard. The CIMS Certification Guide, which helps organizations better understand what is required to comply with the Standard, is also available to provide more in-depth explanations of how to meet the Standard’s various requirements.

Calendar

JUNE 25, CIMS I.C.E. Workshop. Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport, Philadelphia, PA.

OCTOBER 5-6, CIMS I.C.E. Workshop. McCormick Place, Chicago, IL (held in conjunction with ISSA/INTERCLEAN^® North America 2009).

OCTOBER 6-9, ISSA/INTERCLEAN^® North America 2009. McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.

OCTOBER 27-28, Antimicrobial Workshop. Arlington, VA.

ISSA Webinar

For those unable to attend a presentation of this year’s ISSA regional meeting, Piecing Together a World of Standards, the association is offering a webinar on the subject on Friday, July 10, at 11 a.m. CDT. To register, just go to ISSA.com.

In this digital version, cleaning-industry veteran Dave Frank takes an unusual and refreshing approach toward the cleaning industry’s leading standards and their impact on your business. Complex information, voluminous standards, and federal requirements are simplified and streamlined into content that all industry stakeholders can benefit from. Topics covered include:

• EPA’s Design for the Environment
• USGBC’s LEED 2008 Operation and Maintenance Standard
• GreenSeal’s GS-42 Service Standard
• ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard
• EcoLogo’s EcoLogo Program
• BSCAI’s CBSE & RBSM Certification.

All information in "ISSA Reports" is furnished by ISSA. ©2009. All rights reserved.