Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping

Problem definition: This work focuses on the hotel housekeeping process. In a field study, a possible channel of disease transmission between consecutive guests in hotel rooms is revealed. In order to prevent the transmission, an innovative assembly-line housekeeping method is developed. Academic/pr...

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Main Authors: CHEN, Xiao Alison, WANG, Rowan, ZHANG, Jianghua
Format: text
Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6732
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7731/viewcontent/Divide_Conquer_2021_av.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-77312022-05-19T07:29:00Z Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping CHEN, Xiao Alison WANG, Rowan ZHANG, Jianghua Problem definition: This work focuses on the hotel housekeeping process. In a field study, a possible channel of disease transmission between consecutive guests in hotel rooms is revealed. In order to prevent the transmission, an innovative assembly-line housekeeping method is developed. Academic/practical relevance: The transmission of infectious diseases during hotel stays (e.g., by touching unclean towels or bed linens) has been reported globally. Under the current COVID-19 pandemic, having contact with saliva or mucus left by an infected person could cause infection. The standard housekeeping process used by the majority of hotels leaves a channel for new towels and bed linens in refreshed rooms to be contaminated by bacteria or viruses from used towels and bed linens. Eliminating the contamination channel and preventing disease transmission are crucial for protecting the health and safety of hotel guests, especially under a disease outbreak such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: The research was conducted during a field study at a hotel. To design the assembly-line process, the service time distribution of each housekeeping operational step is characterized using data collected from the practice at hundreds of hotel rooms. An optimization model is proposed to optimize the operation. Through a pilot test, the performance of the assembly-line and the traditional housekeeping methods is compared. Results: The pilot test results show that the assembly-line housekeeping method has the potential to improve not only hygienic standards but also, labor efficiency and service quality (error rate). Managerial implications: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic draws tremendous public attention on disease transmission and public hygiene. The principle of the assembly-line method (i.e., eliminating contamination channels through teamwork operational design) can be applied to not only hotel housekeeping practices but also, many other service settings. It leads to hygienic, efficient, and reliable operations, at no additional cost. 2021-06-01T07:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6732 info:doi/10.1287/msom.2021.0984 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7731/viewcontent/Divide_Conquer_2021_av.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University housekeeping operation assembly-line hotel hygiene labor efficiency COVID-19 Asian Studies Hospitality Administration and Management Operations and Supply Chain Management Public Health
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic housekeeping operation
assembly-line
hotel hygiene
labor efficiency
COVID-19
Asian Studies
Hospitality Administration and Management
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Public Health
spellingShingle housekeeping operation
assembly-line
hotel hygiene
labor efficiency
COVID-19
Asian Studies
Hospitality Administration and Management
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Public Health
CHEN, Xiao Alison
WANG, Rowan
ZHANG, Jianghua
Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
description Problem definition: This work focuses on the hotel housekeeping process. In a field study, a possible channel of disease transmission between consecutive guests in hotel rooms is revealed. In order to prevent the transmission, an innovative assembly-line housekeeping method is developed. Academic/practical relevance: The transmission of infectious diseases during hotel stays (e.g., by touching unclean towels or bed linens) has been reported globally. Under the current COVID-19 pandemic, having contact with saliva or mucus left by an infected person could cause infection. The standard housekeeping process used by the majority of hotels leaves a channel for new towels and bed linens in refreshed rooms to be contaminated by bacteria or viruses from used towels and bed linens. Eliminating the contamination channel and preventing disease transmission are crucial for protecting the health and safety of hotel guests, especially under a disease outbreak such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: The research was conducted during a field study at a hotel. To design the assembly-line process, the service time distribution of each housekeeping operational step is characterized using data collected from the practice at hundreds of hotel rooms. An optimization model is proposed to optimize the operation. Through a pilot test, the performance of the assembly-line and the traditional housekeeping methods is compared. Results: The pilot test results show that the assembly-line housekeeping method has the potential to improve not only hygienic standards but also, labor efficiency and service quality (error rate). Managerial implications: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic draws tremendous public attention on disease transmission and public hygiene. The principle of the assembly-line method (i.e., eliminating contamination channels through teamwork operational design) can be applied to not only hotel housekeeping practices but also, many other service settings. It leads to hygienic, efficient, and reliable operations, at no additional cost.
format text
author CHEN, Xiao Alison
WANG, Rowan
ZHANG, Jianghua
author_facet CHEN, Xiao Alison
WANG, Rowan
ZHANG, Jianghua
author_sort CHEN, Xiao Alison
title Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
title_short Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
title_full Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
title_fullStr Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
title_full_unstemmed Divide and conquer: A hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
title_sort divide and conquer: a hygienic, efficient, and reliable assembly-line for housekeeping
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2021
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6732
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7731/viewcontent/Divide_Conquer_2021_av.pdf
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