Cleaning industry standards
What Is ISSA CIMS Certification?
A management-system certification for cleaning organizations: what it checks, what it does not, and how facility buyers can use it when choosing a vendor.
The short answer
This certification shows that a cleaning organization's management system meets the Cleaning Industry Management Standard, a consensus-based standard published by the worldwide cleaning industry association. An accredited independent assessor reviews the organization's documentation and practices on site against five core areas: quality systems, service delivery, human resources, health, safety and environmental stewardship, and management commitment. It evaluates how a company is run, not how clean one building looks on a given night, and an optional Green Building designation adds requirements for sustainable cleaning.
What the Cleaning Industry Management Standard measures
The standard describes the characteristics of a well-managed cleaning organization. It applies to building service contractors and to in-house cleaning departments of any size, and it is organized into five core sections.
| Section | What an assessor looks for |
|---|---|
| Quality systems | Defined service requirements, a quality plan, performance measurement, customer feedback and continual improvement |
| Service delivery | Processes for purchasing, staffing, scheduling and handling unexpected events |
| Human resources | Hiring, onboarding, training, job descriptions and how the workforce is managed |
| Health, safety and environmental stewardship | Safety programs, chemical handling, documentation and sustainable practices |
| Management commitment | Vision and mission, clear roles, communication, legal compliance, insurance and licensing |
How janitorial company certification under the standard works
The organization first compares its policies and records against the standard's requirements, which are split into mandatory elements and recommended elements in each section. An accredited third-party assessor then reviews the documentation and visits on site to confirm the written systems are actually used, often interviewing managers and checking client sites.
To be certified, the organization must meet every mandatory element and a set share of the recommended ones in each section. A higher "with Honors" level recognizes organizations that meet substantially more of the recommended elements. Certification runs for a limited term and must be renewed through reassessment.
The optional Green Building designation
Organizations can add a Green Building designation on top of the five core sections. It sets out a framework for sustainable cleaning: green cleaning policies, environmentally preferable products and equipment, and the documentation that building owners need when pursuing green building ratings such as LEED for existing buildings.
For a buyer, the designation is a quick signal that a vendor has a written green cleaning program, though the product list and practices at your building should still be reviewed directly.
How buyers use the standard in an RFP
Public agencies and large private owners sometimes list the certification as a qualification or give it points when scoring proposals. Used well, it saves evaluation time by confirming that core management systems exist. Used badly, it substitutes for checking how the vendor performs in buildings like yours.
- Ask for the certificate, its date and the organization or locations it covers
- Check the association's public directory of certified organizations
- Ask whether the Green Building designation is held if green cleaning matters to you
- Still request references from comparable buildings and visit an active site
- From vendors without the certification, request the same evidence directly: quality plan, training records, safety program and inspection records
What the certification does and does not tell you
A management standard answers some buying questions well and others not at all. Use the table to decide what else to check.
| Buyer question | Does the certification answer it? | Where else to look |
|---|---|---|
| Does the company have documented quality and safety systems? | Yes | Review the documents themselves for your scope |
| Will my building be cleaned well? | Indirectly | References, site visits and a trial inspection |
| Is the crew at my site trained for my space type? | Partly | Training records for assigned staff |
| Is the price fair for the scope? | No | Normalized bid comparison |
| Can the company staff my schedule and absences? | Partly | Backup staffing plan and supervisor coverage |
EBS Maintenance and management-system evidence
This page explains the standard for buyers; it is not a statement that EBS Maintenance holds the certification. Buyers evaluating EBS can review the systems behind its service directly: eHub inspection records with follow-up and corrective-action tracking, field supervision and escalation support, backup staffing, and teams that are trained, vetted, uniformed and background-checked.
EBS is licensed and insured, has more than 25 years of commercial cleaning experience, and offers a free walkthrough where those records and the proposed scope can be discussed.
Related questions
Still not sure? A supervisor can answer at the walkthrough.
Request a walkthroughAll questionsIs this certification required to bid on janitorial contracts?
Not by law. Some public agencies and private owners list it as a qualification or give it points in evaluation, so check each solicitation. Where it is not required, buyers can ask any vendor for the same evidence the standard looks for, such as a quality plan, training records and a safety program.
Does a certified company always clean better?
Not necessarily at your building. The certification confirms that management systems for quality, staffing and safety exist and are used. Results at a specific site still depend on the crew, the supervisor, the scope and the hours, so check references and visit a comparable building.
Can an in-house cleaning department be certified?
Yes. The standard applies both to building service contractors and to in-house service providers, such as a university or hospital's own custodial department. In-house teams use it to benchmark their management practices and to show leadership that the department runs on documented systems.
How does this compare with Green Seal's GS-42 standard?
Both certify organizations rather than products, but their focus differs. The Cleaning Industry Management Standard covers overall management, with green cleaning as an optional designation. Green Seal's GS-42 is built around the environmental side of a cleaning service: products, equipment, training and waste handling.
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