A basic calendar tells you what is booked. It does not tell you whether the day makes sense: whether a cleaner is driving across town and back, whether two jobs overlap, whether someone is booked while on holiday or whether one cleaner has twice the work of another. That is what schedule optimisation is for.
This guide explains what automated schedule optimisation does for a cleaning business, and how to use it well.
What a basic calendar cannot do
- Work out the best order for a cleaner’s jobs.
- Set start times that allow for travel.
- Warn you when jobs clash or a cleaner is on holiday.
- Show quickly who is free for an extra job.
- Move a whole round to someone else in one go.
Route ordering
The route planner looks at a cleaner’s jobs for the day and orders them to cut travel. In ProCleanerUK you can choose:
- Balanced route: a sensible order that balances distance and timing.
- Shortest path: the least driving overall.
- Keep stop order: keep your chosen order, for example when a customer needs a specific time, and just calculate the timings.
You can set custom start and end points, such as the cleaner’s home, and send the finished route to the staff app. See our guide to route planning for cleaning companies.
Realistic start times
Once the order is set, the planner calculates arrival times based on job durations and travel. Cleaners and customers get times that are achievable, rather than a list of jobs with no idea how long the gaps are.
Clash and holiday checks
Conflict alerts flag overlapping jobs and jobs assigned to a cleaner on approved holiday. Approving a holiday that affects jobs prompts you to reassign them.
Quick availability
When a customer asks for an extra clean, an availability check shows who is free at that time, or who could take a regular pattern, without opening every cleaner’s diary.
Reassigning rounds
When a cleaner leaves or goes on long leave, Reassign Staff moves all their jobs to someone else from a chosen date, or splits them between several cleaners. History and pay stay untouched.
Balancing workloads
Looking at the week view across the team shows who is overloaded and who has gaps. Moving a couple of jobs evens things out, keeps staff happier and frees up capacity for new customers.
A before and after example
Picture a cleaner with five jobs in a day, booked in the order customers called. The day starts in the north of town, crosses to the south, back to the middle and out to the east. Reordered by the route planner, the same five jobs follow a single loop. The cleaner finishes earlier, with less fuel used, and the company can fit another job into the day or simply give the cleaner a less stressful afternoon. Multiply that across a team, every working day, and the savings are significant.
How to get the most from optimisation
- Keep job durations accurate, using clock-in records to check.
- Plan routes a day or two ahead, then adjust for changes.
- When taking on new customers, check which round they fit best.
- Review rounds every few months as customers come and go.
Common mistakes
- Planning routes once and never revisiting them.
- Using unrealistic job durations.
- Accepting new customers far from existing rounds without adjusting price.
Optimise your schedule
The route planner, arrival times, conflict alerts, availability checks, Reassign Staff and team week views are included on every ProCleanerUK plan. Start your 28-day free trial, or book a free demo and we will optimise a day with you. For more, read our guides to solving cleaning scheduling problems and the route planner.
FAQs
What is cleaning schedule optimisation?
Ordering jobs to cut travel, setting realistic times, checking for clashes and balancing workloads.
What route options are there?
Balanced route, shortest path or keep your chosen stop order.
Does it set arrival times?
Yes. Times are calculated from job durations and travel.
Can I move a cleaner’s whole round?
Yes. Reassign Staff moves all jobs from a chosen date.
How often should I review rounds?
Every few months, or whenever several customers join or leave.