UNIT 1 PLANNING AND ORGANISING THE HOUSE-KEEPING DEPARTMENT (A) AREA INVENTORY LIST & (B) FREQUENCY SCHEDULE

 Planning is probably the Executive Housekeeper's most important management function. Without proper planning, each day may present one problem after other. Since the Housekeeping is responsible for cleaning & maintaining so many different areas of the hotel. Planning should be undertaken in a systematic manner in order to obtain set objectives. The step by step planning process may differ slightly from one hotel’s housekeeping department to another’s and different terminology may be in use across companies, but essentially the sub-processes and tasks are the same. Housekeeping planning should be done on paper and needs to be properly documented. The questions that arise at the beginning of the planning process lead to the formation of the basic planning documents. Certain documents are essential and they are:

PLANNING PROCESS:

The step-by-step the planning process may differ slightly from one hotel’s housekeeping department to another’s and different terminology may be in use across companies, but essentially the sub-process and tasks are the same.

 Housekeeping planning should be done on paper and needs to be properly documented. The questions that arise at the beginning of the planning process lead to the formation of the basic planning documents.

The answers to the initial questions, we have seen, to the subsequent steps of drawing up the planning documents that the executive housekeeper must follow. These documents are discussed, step-by-step.

 

 Planning Process Step- by Step:

Step-1

Prepare Division of work documentation

 Step-2

Prepare Area Inventory Lists

Step-3

Prepare Frequency Schedules

Step-4

Set Performance Standards

Step-5

Set productivity Standards

Step-6

Set Inventory Levels; Par Levels

Step-7

Prepare Work Schedules

 Division Of work Document:

In the first step of planning, the executive housekeeper identifies the areas that will come under the purview of the housekeeping department for maintenance and upkeep. This is especially important in a newly opened property. Most housekeeping departments in luxury hotels are involved with cleaning guestrooms and the related public areas. The other ‘back of the house areas are taken care of by the stewarding assistants. However, in mid-scale properties, the housekeeping the department may also be responsible for such areas as dining and banquet rooms, meeting rooms, recreation rooms, employee areas, and management offices. 

The executive housekeeper should make a list of all the guest and employee areas of the property in a division-of-work document and put down on paper that would be responsible for cleaning and maintaining each area. To ensure all possible areas to be cleaned have been covered, the executive housekeeper must make regular tours of the property. It also helps to mark the areas on a blueprint of the property plan. Different coloured markings may be used for the different departments that are responsible for the maintenance and care of the various areas. This division of work document should be presented to the executive committee for review and approval.

 

 Area Inventory List (AIL):

Planning the work of the Housekeeping Department begins with creating an inventory list of all items within each area that will need Housekeeping attention. Since most properties offered several different types of guestrooms, a separate inventory list may be needed for guest room types. When preparing the guestroom ‘AIL’, it is a good idea to follow the same system that room attendants will use as their sequence of cleaning tasks & that supervisor will use in the course of their inspection. E.g. Areas within a guestroom may appear on an inventory list as they are found from right to left & top to bottom around the room.

Sample Guest Room  Area Inventory List

Frequency Schedule: It indicates how often items on the inventory list are to be cleaned. Items that must be cleaned on a daily or weekly basis become a part of a routine cleaning cycle and are incorporated into standard work procedures. Other items which must be cleaned, monthly or less frequently are inspected on a daily basis but they become part of a spring cleaning program & are scheduled special cleaning projects.

 

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