Use Case – Commercial Floor Scrubber J45

Application Example – Commercial Floor Scrubber J45

The Challenge

A regional retail chain operates several medium-sized supermarkets, each with a combined sales and back-of-house area of 4,000 m². Floor cleaning was previously contracted out to a night-shift provider, who used manual wet mopping and basic single-disc machines. Each location was charged a fixed rate, regardless of the time actually required.

This arrangement led to a number of problems: extended drying periods created slip hazards for early morning customers, cleaning quality varied depending on the team, and contractor fees had increased to €410 per store per night. With stores open six days a week, cleaning represented a substantial fixed expense and became increasingly difficult to manage as the chain expanded.

Manual Process

The operations department analysed the actual workload involved in wet mopping and detailed cleaning of the 4,000 m² floor each night.

Prior to Automation:

• Daily area: 4,000 m²/day
• Manual mopping and drying rate: 6.5 m²/minute (including wringing, moving equipment, and placing warning signs)
• Total time required per day: 4,000 m² ÷ 6.5 m²/min ≈ 615 minutes (≈ 10.25 hours/day)
• Equivalent labour cost at €25/hour: 10.25 h × €25 ≈ €256/day
• Actual contractor fee charged: €410/day per store
• Rework/issues: 2–3 wet patches posing slip risks reported weekly per store, along with frequent visible streaks in busy aisles

Typically, the contractor assigned two staff for approximately five hours, but the retailer paid a set nightly fee that had increased over time. As floors remained damp for 20–30 minutes, morning staff often had to add extra warning signs and re-mop areas where dirt had been tracked in.

Automated Solution

The retailer opted to bring cleaning in-house by introducing the Commercial Floor Scrubber J45. Each branch was supplied with a cordless machine and a small in-house team was trained to clean during quieter daytime periods and immediately after closing.

Following Implementation of the Commercial Floor Scrubber J45:

• The machine is operated at 60% of its maximum output to ensure reliability
• Rated cleaning performance: 2,100 m²/h ⇒ at 60% = 1,260 m²/h
• Revised cycle rate: 1,260 m²/h = 21 m²/minute
• Total time required per day: 4,000 m² ÷ 21 m²/min ≈ 190 minutes (≈ 3.2 hours/day)
• Labour cost (in-house at €25/hour): 3.2 h × €25 ≈ €80/day
• Quality gains: floor is dry to the touch within 3–5 minutes, reducing wet patches and slip incidents by an estimated 70%

With the J45’s four-hour battery life and 45/55 L tank capacities, a single operator can clean the entire store in one go, requiring only brief stops for checks. The machine’s noise level, below 65 dB(A), enables cleaning during trading hours in quieter sections without disturbing customers.

ROI Calculation

Investment:
Machine cost: €1,549
Previous daily expense (contractor): €410/day
Current daily expense (in-house labour only): ≈ €80/day
Daily saving: €410 − €80 = €330/day

Monthly saving (22 working days): €330 × 22 = €7,260/month
Payback period: €1,549 ÷ €330/day ≈ 4.7 days (less than one week)

Even if the retailer budgets an extra €170/month per store for consumables, maintenance, and occasional replacement of brushes or squeegees, net savings still exceed €7,000 per month per store. For chains with multiple locations, the investment in a fleet of J45 machines was recouped within the first month of use.

Conclusion

By introducing the Commercial Floor Scrubber J45 in place of outsourced manual mopping, the retail group succeeded in reducing daily cleaning hours by over fifty percent and lowered cleaning expenses per shop by approximately €330 per day. The floors are now reliably spotless, dry within a few minutes, and can be cleaned throughout the day without causing inconvenience to shoppers.

“Adopting the J45 enabled us to switch from a €410 per night contractor to an internal cleaning routine costing roughly €80 per day in labour, while still covering the same 4,000 m² in just over three hours. We recouped the €1,549 outlay in less than a week and have observed a marked reduction in wet areas that could cause slips at opening time.” — Martin Weber, Operations Manager, Südmarkt Retail Group / Munich, Germany