Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of Facilities Management Servicess

Expertise

Making Air Travel More Accessible – A Spotlight on PRM Services with Michèle Hill

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Airports are known for their busy nature, with thousands of people passing through their doors every day, connecting people from all over the world. While a focus on providing core services such as cleaning and security is important, there are many passengers that intend to travel through the long terminal corridors who require additional support.

We sat down with Michèle Hill, Bidvest Noonan’s Contract Manager at Shannon Airport, to gain a deeper understanding of the People with Restricted Mobility (PRM) Service, some of the fundamentals that need to be in place, and what the aims of our PRM teams are here at Bidvest Noonan.

What exactly is a PRM Service, and what is involved when delivering it?

A ‘People with Restricted Mobility’ (PRM) Service is designed to assist individuals who have mobility challenges such as walking, standing, or climbing stairs. The service also assists those who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches. Support also extends beyond physical impairments and also includes accommodating those with visual and auditory impairments.

Providing a PRM service involves assisting those who need additional support at every stage along the passenger journey through the airport. This includes helping departing passengers from check-in, through security, to boarding the plane. It also includes assisting arriving passengers from the aircraft through immigration and baggage reclaim, and out to the arrivals hall.

All of this is designed to help passengers navigate the airport with ease and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable journey.

What fundamentals must be in place to deliver a PRM Service?

Knowing the terminal inside out in order to navigate it effectively, being aware of where all equipment and mobility aids are at all times, and having the appropriate training to assist passengers of all restricted mobility levels are some of the key basic elements I believe are required to deliver an effective PRM Service.

However, delivering an effective People with Restricted Mobility (PRM) service is not just about checking off a list of necessities, it’s much more than that. A holistic approach should be taken.

Recognising that navigating through an airport with physical limitations can be a source of stress and discomfort for individuals, and taking steps to alleviate those challenges is important. That is why our teams go that extra step to make each passenger feel warmly welcomed, by making an effort to personally greet them and learn their name.

This personable touch can often help ease any anxiety passengers might have and make the experience more relaxed for them. This can be really important if they are travelling alone.

What do our PRM teams at Bidvest Noonan aim to do?

Our PRM teams have one core focus, and that is to ensure passengers who have restricted mobility or other impairments have a seamless experience on their journey and get to where they need to be, all while enjoying their time at the airport. Providing them with the reassurance they need that all their needs are being cared for, is what makes the difference. No matter what disability or mobility issue the passenger may have, we make it our mission to remain adaptive, flexible, and accommodating to passengers throughout the airport.

60 Seconds with Colin O Neill

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Meet Colin O’Neill. As a GMP Quality Specialist, Colin helps us support customers in the Life Sciences sector. Our customers in the sector produce important medicines and biotechnologies, many of which transform the lives of people living with serious conditions. Our customers trust us to maintain their facilities in an always audit-ready condition, ensuring their business can operate smoothly and produce products of the highest quality.

How would you define what you do at Bidvest Noonan?
As a GMP quality specialist, I support our GMP cleaning activities so that they are performed to the highest standard and maintain 100% compliance with all regulations. This involves travelling to many different sites and responding to their unique needs to help them perform at their best.

What has been your best day at Bidvest Noonan?
I’ve only been part of the business for a couple of months so I can say that every day has been my best day. Meeting great people for the first time is always a great experience and my first week was very exciting.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
If you push someone, they will push back, if you lead them, they will follow.

How do you motivate yourself?
Motivation is contagious, I try to associate myself with those that inspire me and strive not to be like them, but the best version of myself.

Who or what has inspired you the most?
My parents inspire me the most. I have three siblings and we didn’t have everything growing up but they made sure we had a fulfilling childhood and always put education first.

If you had a motto, what would it be?
Simply “keep moving forward”. No matter what through any adversity this motto helps me push through and do exactly what it says.

60 Seconds with Jason Dwane

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Jason Dwane, Business Development Manager, has kindly participated in our 60-Second interview series, sharing some personal insights and valuable advice below.

How would you define what you do at Bidvest Noonan?
My role as Business Development Manager is to support our clients and build solutions to meet their soft services requirements.

What has been your best day at Bidvest Noonan?
I have had many great days in the last 8 years at Bidvest Noonan but my stand out one has to be my last day as Operations Manager before I moved into the role of Business Development Manager. We had a ‘meet the CEO’ day for our team and this gave us a chance to reflect on the last couple of years together. I felt very proud about everything we accomplished together over the years and how we had grown and developed as a team. Most of all, I was proud of how close everyone had become. I couldn’t have asked for a better team, they were the driving force behind our success.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
‘Never ask somebody to do something you are not willing to do yourself’. This is a piece of advice I have always stood by and passed on to my teams.

How do you motivate yourself and your team?
I always set small and big goals for my personal life and career. I always take on challenges to better myself. This has always been the same with teams I have been part of. Setting goals will always keep you on track and motivated. 

Who or what has inspired you the most?
I have had a lot of people in my career and personal life who inspire me but most of all my young family. My main goal in life is to set good examples and be a good role model to my children. I want them to grow up being proud of their dad. They are what inspires me every day.

If you had a motto, what would it be?
Success is best when shared. I love this motto as success is always best when you have accomplished with others.

How technology is changing the cleaning industry for the better – Mairead Stapleton

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The cleaning industry is constantly evolving due to technological advances. These advances are making a difference in the way we clean, the way we work, and the way we interact with our customers. Business Development Director for Bidvest Noonan’s Workplace Solutions Business Unit, Mairead Stapleton, shares just a few of the ways that technology is changing the cleaning industry for the better:

Improvements for People

Technological advances are delivering improvements for people in the industry. With new innovations, we can now clean smarter and faster than ever before. For example, advancements in cobotics and artificial intelligence are helping us to reduce monotony and labour in cleaning tasks.  This, in turn, means that people can be redeployed to other tasks or areas where they are needed most.

The latest cleaning equipment is designed to be lighter and easier to use, which makes the job of cleaning much less physically demanding. This is especially beneficial for cleaners who have to work long hours.

At Bidvest Noonan, we invest in the best equipment and technologies the industry has to offer to support our teams.

More Effective Results

Cleaning is becoming more effective thanks to innovation. Cleaning products have come a long way in recent years, and they are now more successful at removing dirt, grime, and bacteria. This means that cleaners can finish the job faster, and more efficiently.

Cleaning machinery has also undergone a number of improvements in recent years, thanks to advances in technology. The latest generation of machines are much more powerful than older models, and they often come with a number of features that make them more effective at cleaning.

At Bidvest Noonan, we take every opportunity to leverage our unique capabilities and resources to deliver innovative and highly effective cleaning solutions for our customers.

Sustainability

The excess use of water, energy, and chemicals to clean is a major contributor to the global carbon footprint. One way that technology has improved the cleaning industry is by making us more sustainable. 

New ground-breaking machinery that uses less water and energy has a significantly reduced impact on the environment. These machines help achieve faster turnaround times while maintaining the highest standards.

The use of green chemicals to clean is becoming more prevalent. These products are less hazardous and use less packaging. This helps reduce pollution and waste.

We at Bidvest Noonan believe successful companies should lead the way in sustainable and ethical behaviour. We are taking big steps to deliver a greener and more sustainable world. Read our environmental report here

Data-Led Results

Technological advancements have also paved way for data driven solutions. Highly-advanced systems allow cleaning teams to track the progress of their cleaning projects and deploy resources to where they are most needed using sensor technology. These same systems can be used by customers for their own building management insights and space management benefits. This technology can ultimately help cleaning businesses be more efficient, improve quality, and save costs for customers.

At Bidvest Noonan, we equip our teams with the best technologies to enable them to achieve higher levels of productivity and increase safety and sustainability. Learn more here

Susan Howard has been promoted to Operations Director for Healthcare

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Bidvest Noonan has strengthened its Irish senior management team with the recent promotion of Susan Howard to Operations Director for Healthcare.

Susan, who joined the firm in 2003, has deep expertise and knowledge of the healthcare sector and will enhance the service and value delivered to clients. In her new role, Susan takes ownership of Bidvest Noonan’s national healthcare portfolio in Ireland, covering both cleaning and security services.

Speaking on her promotion, Susan said: “I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to lead our healthcare operations for our business in Ireland. I look forward to building on the platform the business has created in recent years and ensuring we have the expertise available to support all of our clients.”

Managing Director, Anthony Harman commented: “I am delighted that Susan has took up the role as Operations Director for our healthcare division. The need for a clean and safe environment in the healthcare sector is more important than ever before, and I have no doubt Susan is the right person to lead both our cleaning and security teams. With an experienced team around her and long-standing relationships with clients across Ireland, I have no doubt her tenure will be a success.”

The appointment follows Bidvest Noonan’s ongoing investment in its healthcare operations. Last year, the organisation appointed Emma Power as its Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) Specialist to further develop its subject matter expertise in the sector.

The Importance of Training in the Healthcare Sector

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We caught up with Brigid Ryan, Operations Manager for the Healthcare sector. Brigid shares her career journey and her perspective on how Bidvest Noonan has been so successful in the sector.

How did you get started in the industry?

I started working at Bidvest Noonan in 1999 as a Mobile Area Manager. Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, I had worked as a Healthcare Professional and I was able to use this experience to progress to the role of Operations Manager in our Healthcare Division. My first contract was at one of Cork’s busiest hospitals, and now as Operations Manager, it remains one of my key accounts to this day. It grew from there, and I have had many other healthcare partnerships since.

What sets us apart in the industry?

We were one of the first companies to introduce rigorous site auditing. I remember explaining the concept to our clients at the time. It was basically a way to provide evidence of the quality of our service and to provide a history of consistent quality of service.  Many standard practices that the industry takes for granted now were innovations that we were the first to introduce.

What is unique to working in healthcare?

I believe it is the nature of the working environment and the level of training and IPC knowledge required to perform our work in a healthcare facility. Our people are working in very challenging environments surrounded by vulnerable patients, busy staff, and visitors. Our teams have constant interaction with people while working and this can be both rewarding and challenging. Our work plays a key role in breaking the chain of infection in a healthcare environment. That is why our people must complete a wide range of infection, prevention, and control training to ensure a safe, clean environment for patients, staff, and visitors.

Is Infection Prevention and Control important to the sector?

It is hugely important, and I believe we have extensive expertise in this area. Our Healthcare Division now has an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) nurse specialist on the team. Through this investment, we have been able to expand our IPC expertise and continue to improve the service we provide. We have been able to further support our site-based teams by empowering them with the knowledge to ensure that Infection Prevention and Control is at the heart of our cleaning activities on site.

Photo of Bidvest Noonan Cleaning operative in an hospital