Innovation

At Bidvest Noonan we are always looking at the latest technologies, finding ways to innovate and improve our performance, to provide the best solutions for our customers.

We have introduced The Rex to our portfolio of technology for large-scale cleaning solutions. This cobot is built to be highly powerful yet nimble. The Rex uses a class-leading lidar, depth camera mesh, and sonar sensors to help it navigate and avoid collisions. Its extra large cleaning width ensures a faster cleaning even in large areas, covering over 4,000m2 in just one hour or up to 8 football fields with just one charge.

It offers a whole new level of convenience with the game-changing auto dock system, able to recharge the Rex and manage its solution levels –  it recharges, empties the waste water tank, and refills the solution tank all on its own.

The Rex is also easy to control with a high-definition touchscreen or through the Lionsbot app

• 10 hours run time
• 81 cm cleaning width: clean more and faster with extra large cleaning width
• 200m lidar coverage
• Brush Pressure: 40 – 80kg
• Large capacity tanks: 40L clean tank and 40L waste tank

The security sector has a special relationship with technology. Many of a building’s connected and critical systems are controlled by security teams. These systems get smarter and more powerful every year. However, their development accelerated sharply over the past 2 years in response to the pandemic. Now, more than ever before, security technologies are shaping how buildings are used and experienced.

Our report discusses five security technology trends we believe will have a significant impact in the years to come:

• Predictive Analytics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Touchless and Frictionless Systems
• Smart Buildings
• Cybersecurity

Data analytics is changing how we design, plan, manage and maintain workplaces. Data analytics provides a comprehensive and refined understanding of how workplaces are used, enabling managers and facilities teams to make better decisions.

Our report on how data is reshaping the workplace discusses:

• How working practices are changing
• Leveraging data analytics
• Data-driven service solutions
• Data enabling workplace sustainability

At Bidvest Noonan, our vision is to be so important to our customers, so valuable to their business, and provide experiences so good, we are always their partner of choice. To achieve this vision, we need to stay at the forefront of our industry, leveraging technology and innovation to deliver better service and more value to our customers.

This dedication to uncovering innovation drives so many senior figures from across our business to make time in their busy diaries to visit conferences, meet our suppliers, participate in round table discussions, and conduct research to improve the services we offer.

We asked Chief Services Officer, Eddie Ingram, Technology and Innovation Director, Peter Smyth, and Director of Operations Support and Risk, Jonathan Moore, why innovation is so important to our business and what role industry events play in helping us uncover new ideas and progress our innovation agenda.

Eddie Ingram, who recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition, an event that attracts over 30,000 visitors and brings together industry professionals from far and wide, said:

“Innovation is critical to our success. Our ability to challenge conventions, find better ways of working, and create greater value for clients sets us apart from our competition. Investing the time to go meet suppliers and hear from thought leaders in our industry and adjacent industries is very worthwhile. Attending industry events gives us the opportunity to meet new suppliers and catch up with existing ones too.

We recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition and had some interesting discussions around the increased use and spread of CCTV across the UK and how it might lead to a new British Standard around AI and facial recognition.

Some of the innovation happening in the security industry today is truly remarkable, and we are harnessing many of these advances for the benefit of our clients.”

Peter Smyth, who recently visited the Netherlands to attend the high-profile 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event added:

“Innovation really matters to us. We want to lead the way in our industry and use the latest innovations to help reinvent and improve solutions for our clients.

Attending some of the largest FM trade shows in the world gives us a great opportunity to see the latest products on offer from existing customers, but also allows us to meet new suppliers that are disrupting the industry with a new generation of robotics, machinery, and equipment.

The 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event gave the team and I an incredible insight into the work being done to improve how we manage waste, consume energy, and use water. I look forward to adopting the very best of these to improve the service we provide to our clients.”

Jonathan Moore, Director of Operations Support and Risk, commenting on his attendance at the IFSEC event said:

 “We met with suppliers to talk about their upcoming innovations, exploring ways in which we can work together to deploy these new products. It was refreshing to see a blend of technology, physical security, and a healthy number of organisations offering professional development routes.

At Bidvest Noonan, we aim to stay ahead of the curve, continuously finding new ways to improve the service we provide to our customers. Attending industry events and networking with thought leaders and innovators informs and inspires our own innovation research”.

In our business, we are always looking for ways to decrease the impact our actions have on our planet. This includes finding solutions that can reduce our use of harmful chemicals.

Across many of our customer sites throughout the UK & Ireland, we have installed Stabilised Aqueous Ozone systems (SAO). The SAO Dispenser is a simple and sustainable way to clean, sanitise and deodorise everyday surfaces. This technology has proven to be safe, effective, and environmentally friendly.

It works by attacking organic matter, breaking it down into smaller particles, and suspending it in solution through a reaction called ‘oxidation’. It creates an all-in-one solution, approved for sanitising for up to 24 hours and cleaning for six days.

The benefits of using our aqueous ozone system include:

• 90% less water used
• 83% less plastic waste
• 72% less cardboard waste
• 70% less chemicals of concern used