How was 2022 for BIC? What were the highlights? What were the challenges?

2022 was a watershed year for BIC. Emerging from COVID with a different perspective on life, and the culmination of over 30 years in business saw us make the game-changing decision to join forces with global powerhouse Bidvest, embarking on the next phase of our vision for BIC.

Bidvest has backed BIC Services on a rock-solid foundation of service delivery, reputation, and a strong business case. What makes me so proud of my executive team and the whole BIC family is that, unlike most mergers and acquisitions, Bidvest recognised the capability and power of the BIC brand. We haven’t skipped a beat during the transition.

We are positioned for 2023 on a strong footing, with everything that BIC has always been, turbocharged with the significant backing of a global player whose values around transparency, integrity, excellence, innovation, and sustainability could not resonate any more closely with ours.  They, like us, realise ultimately it is Our People who create the prosperity of a service-based business, like BIC.

Full marks to Tony Di Bello and John Balbi for their incredible legacy of turning a start-up into a national icon by adhering to the highest principles and maintaining their vision for 30+ years.  After a lifetime of hard work, they can step back proudly and see their baby has grown up and is poised to face the future with confidence.

Escalating costs affect everyone. Locked in contracts face squeezed margins. Retention is harder as we re-evaluate our cost of service delivery at end-of-contract, which makes for more difficult conversations. But we are confident that our proposition is stronger and more compelling than ever, with everything we’ve done to enhance our offering.

COVID challenges continue. Throughout the pandemic we met or exceeded the ever-changing rules. COVID simply became another factor of an already complex and challenging business that we are more than used to handling.

Staff shortages are another challenge. Fortunately, our reputation and job satisfaction among our workers is so high that we continue to recruit most of our workforce through word-of-mouth.

What have been some of the learnings the company has taken from the past 12 months?

The way forward is to continue exceeding expectations and stay ahead of the curve. One of the pillars of our business is innovation.  We are constantly asking ourselves “what, where and how we can improve?”  This mindset is something our clients view favourably and is a key driver for new business.

What do you see as the main challenges the market is facing in 2023?

The international climate is more unpredictable. We must maximise flexibility and resilience.  Providing good cleaning services isn’t enough. As COVID shows, shocks to our sector can be swift and brutal.

The measure of a business now is both on quality of service and on capacity to absorb shocks and help our clients thrive in volatile times. Cost of living pressure will be exacerbated, and we have a social responsibility to assist where possible.

Sustainability has become a paramount consideration in our industry. We work collaboratively with our clients and our suppliers to implement strategies aligned with best practice methodologies. Without sustainability, we literally have nothing, and the world is rapidly waking up to this realisation. It’s something we’ve been pursuing for a very long time.

What are the company’s main priorities for 2023?

Expansion: Sadly, for some, this hyper-tough business environment is going to lead to decreases in contract retention rates. This is an opportunity for us, as building owners realise their current contractor may not be as capable of fulfilling requirements as they once were.

Optimisation: Every moving part in our business provides opportunities to improve efficiency, service delivery and sustainability. We will continue to drive excellence, set new targets, identify opportunities, and deliver better outcomes.

Telling our story: Our industry is built on service delivery and relationships. The new partnership with Bidvest has shone a light on the great success story that we have to share. Our latest ICXP video, for example, presents a compelling case to our clients.

What do you see as the big trends for 2023?

Hybrid home/work situations, changing building use, peaks and troughs, cleaning schedules, access times, and bottlenecks. More volatility and insecurity, forcing the industry to look carefully at every aspect of operation, to stay viable.

Increasing weight placed by clients – and our own standards of excellence – on ESG deliverables. It’s become much more than about cleaning. We are now an integral part of a whole-of-system sustainability approach to managing and improving our living and working environments.

How do you see the cleaning industry evolving in 2023? 

Listen to your customers. Work collaboratively to remain agile and adaptive, smoothing out the disruptions and challenges.  There is strength in partnership. The more we can engage our entire ecosystem in this shared enterprise, the more we will flourish, even in tougher times.

I also believe industry collaboration must increase and knowledge transfer is critical for our industry to thrive.

Are there any key sustainability commitments/targets BIC has made for 2023?  How will you measure your progress?

We have numerous significant programs across all aspects of ESG.  I encourage you to read the rolling sustainability and related reports we produce that outline and measure this. Setting and beating ESG targets, training staff to join us on this journey and continuing to seek out innovative solutions is more than a responsibility, it is an obligation.

What’s the biggest challenge facing leaders today? And what advice would you give to fellow leaders in the cleaning industry?

The business model of yesterday is long gone. Cleaning is now integrated into a holistic, values-driven, complex framework. The race to the bottom is over. People and the environment are at the top of the pyramid.

Leaders need to foster a mindset where everyone is committed to the same values and outcomes. This comes from first having those values baked into your DNA and then using every communication, training, and team-building resource to encourage buy-in and share the vision.

Is there a message that you would like to share with the industry?

The industry has always been highly competitive, but it will never be a monopoly. There is going to be business out there for companies who can deliver on their promises. Let’s all agree to commit to the highest of standards across the board.

In the same way as chefs have come out of hiding in the kitchen and positioned themselves in our living rooms as thought-leaders and specialists to be admired, now is the time for cleaners – and the sophisticated operational and management systems that facilitate them – to take centre stage and recognise the role we play in society.

We passionately accept our obligation as essential workers, to drive a clean, healthy, ethical and sustainable future.

This first appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of INCLEAN magazine. 

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