From FAITH to AI and Cobots: OCS’s Ongoing Journey of Innovation

The Dawn of Digital Thinking

In the early 1980s, OCS embarked on a bold experiment in digital transformation, long before the phrase was in vogue. At our London headquarters, we installed FAITH (Fast Accurate Information Transacted Here), a Burroughs B800 system that would change how OCS operated.

Building a Smarter, More Connected Business

FAITH was a centralised place for customer accounts. It introduced cost controls and enabled data sharing across branches, helping OCS run more smartly and cohesively across the UK. Over 25,000 customers of Office Cleaning Services Ltd, New Century Cleaning Ltd, and Factory Cleaners Ltd were among those who benefited from this leap in efficiency. The system could support up to 22 simultaneous programmes, store 18 million bytes of data, and print 250 lines per minute, impressive specs for its time.

A Transformational Leap in Service Delivery

Richard Hackman, then Financial Director, described the FAITH investment as transformational: not only would it enhance service efficiency, but it would also open “new opportunities to company operation.” The £60,000 investment allowed OCS to reduce reliance on external computing bureaux and bring processing in-house, achieving cost savings and improved responsiveness. Derek Goodliffe, Managing Director, officially launched the system in November, pressing the ‘start’ button and overseeing the data migration process. The installation was accompanied by rigorous data transfer and conversion work to bring customers’ records into the new system.

From FAITH to the Future

From that point on, FAITH became a foundational pillar of OCS’s operations. It anchored accounting systems, enabled better cash flow oversight, and laid the groundwork for future integration of marketing, budgeting, and operational analytics. FAITH was a statement of intent: that OCS embraced technology to amplify human capability.

Innovation Today: Cobots, BMS, AI and Beyond

Fast-forward four decades: that same spirit of curiosity and progress lives on. While FAITH handled numbers on magnetic discs, today’s OCS works with robotics, building intelligence systems, AI, and integrated data platforms. The mission is consistent: deliver safer, smarter, more sustainable services with people at the centre.

Empowering People Through Technology

One standout example is our cobotic cleaning partnership with Morrisons. OCS expanded its longstanding eight-year relationship with Morrisons by deploying cobotic floor-cleaning machines at its logistics sites.

These are not simple automated scrubbers: they incorporate advanced software, sensors, and connectivity to integrate with Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Once operational, the cobots operate autonomously during scheduled windows, while tracking both mapped and live usage of spaces. Internal ATP testing (which measures residual organic matter) can show service effectiveness improvements of 25–30 %.

Importantly, the cobots free up colleagues from repetitive floor tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex, value-adding service delviery. The machines adhere to strict safety norms (for example, a 25-metre sensor radius to detect human presence without interfering with workflows) and coexist with onsite teams.

This partnership is a vivid example of how modern OCS blends tech and human skill. The cobots don’t replace people; they empower them, help raise standards, and allow us to deliver more consistent, safer services at scale.

Smart Systems for Smarter Spaces

In addition to embracing robotics, OCS is advancing through smart systems, such as Building Management Systems (BMS), which integrate climate control, energy use, lighting, sensors, and provide real-time feedback. These technologies help buildings run more efficiently, adjusting automatically to improve comfort, reduce waste, and support more sustainable outcomes across the estates we manage.

Behind the scenes, connected digital platforms are helping teams plan, respond quickly, and make better decisions by bringing together data from operations, finance, workforce planning, and service delivery. It’s a far cry from when FAITH first trialled this kind of digital integration with a bold—and, at the time, significant—budget of £60,000. The computers may be getting smaller, the investment may be growing, but the vision remains the same as OCS continues its journey towards truly Smart FM.

A Tradition of People-First Innovation

It’s tempting to see the difference between FAITH and today’s tech as vast, but the throughline is constant: OCS innovation is always about enabling people to do their best work.

Back in the 1980s, FAITH gave us better data, better cost control, and more reliable coordination. Today’s tech gives us agility, predictive insight, and smarter automation. But neither, at their core, was ever intended to replace human creativity or judgment. They were built to empower.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Smart FM

As we mark more than 125 years of OCS, and more than 40 years since FAITH’s debut, we’re proud of how far we’ve come but even more excited by where we’re headed. Cobots, AI, robotics, these are tools in service of purpose. Our teams remain at the heart of everything we do. The future may look different from those early days, but our commitment to innovation remains as focused and human as ever.