World Cleanup Day is marked around the world on September 20, raising awareness of the importance of clean environments, responsible waste management and sustainability. For many, the day is associated with organized cleanup activities and community initiatives. For us at Tavas, it is an opportunity to look at cleaning from another perspective: not only at the visible results, but also at how a professionally managed cleaning operation can influence the entire site.
In large, active facilities, cleaning is much more than an operational task. It is part of the user experience, the level of service and the site's ability to respond continuously to changing demands and varying levels of activity.
When technology, data and innovative thinking are integrated into cleaning operations, they can be managed with greater precision and adapted to what is actually happening on site.
HaMifratz Central Station in Haifa demonstrates how changing the way cleaning operations are managed can create a much broader impact.
The Challenge: Tens of Thousands of Passengers and a Facility That Never Stops
HaMifratz Central Station is Israel's largest and busiest transportation hub, with approximately 30,000 passengers passing through it every day. It is a complex, multi-user environment that operates almost continuously, with traffic patterns and levels of activity changing throughout the day.
In an environment like this, the challenge extends far beyond maintaining cleanliness.
The operation requires the continuous management of a wide range of tasks, rapid responses to changing conditions on site, consistent service levels throughout operating hours and the ability to address areas experiencing increased demand.
A fixed cleaning schedule can provide a framework for the work, but in a facility where needs change throughout the day, it cannot always reflect what is happening on the ground at any given moment.
Managing a site of this scale therefore requires up-to-date information, real-time monitoring capabilities and more effective use of cleaning and service resources.
The Shift: From Schedule-Based Cleaning to Cleaning That Responds to Real-Time Needs
As part of a productive professional collaboration with the site's management and with Amnon keinrich, Station Manager on behalf of Ariel Properties, an Electra FM company, a new cleaning operation was implemented at HaMifratz Central Station, integrating several advanced technologies under a single management approach.
The solutions introduced include four autonomous cleaning robots that continuously and consistently clean large areas; a dedicated patrol robot that moves throughout the facility and assists in identifying smoking in prohibited areas; the BuzzTech system, which monitors restroom usage and occupancy levels in real time; automated dispensing systems for environmentally friendly cleaning products, enabling improved monitoring and more efficient consumption; and the ServiceApp platform, which supports real-time management of tasks, inspections, reporting and operational and cleaning activities.
The significance of this transformation lies not only in each individual technology, but in the way their integration changes the overall way of working.
By connecting the different systems, the team gained a broader and more up-to-date view of cleaning activity and the needs emerging across the site. This enabled a transition from management based primarily on fixed work plans, estimates and experience to an approach that also relies on real-time data and information from the field.
Instead of performing cleaning activities solely according to predetermined frequencies, operations can now be adjusted to actual usage patterns. Teams can identify where demand is increasing, understand where a response is needed and direct resources to the places and times where they are needed most.
The work plan has not disappeared. It has become more precise and more flexible.
The Result: When a Change in the Way We Work Is Felt Across the Entire Site
The implementation of these technologies has enabled Tavas to redesign its work plans according to actual usage patterns across the facility and manage resources in a way that is more closely connected to real-time conditions on site. In practice, this has resulted in a noticeable improvement in cleanliness levels throughout the facility, shorter response times to incidents and changing needs, more efficient workforce management and continuous monitoring of service quality. At the same time, the operation enables more efficient use of cleaning products and resources and contributes to an improved experience for passengers and visitors. Beyond operational efficiency, the use of robotics, intelligent monitoring and environmentally friendly cleaning products also supports the site's sustainability goals and helps reduce the environmental impact of cleaning activities. In other words, the change goes far beyond the way cleaning itself is performed. It influences how the entire service is managed, from identifying needs and responding to them to prioritizing tasks and allocating resources according to the site's changing reality.
The Future of Cleaning Is Already Here
The project at HaMifratz Central Station demonstrates how a professional cleaning operation can move beyond a fixed routine and become a more precise and flexible system, built around data, technology and a deeper understanding of changing needs on the ground.
On World Cleanup Day, it is also an opportunity to consider how the field itself is evolving. As demonstrated at HaMifratz Central Station, in collaboration with the site's management and Ariel Properties, combining professional expertise, innovation and a deep understanding of the client's needs can transform cleaning into a meaningful component of service quality, user experience and efficient site management.
