Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS)

The Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) is an organizational certification program developed by ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. It establishes a framework of management best practices for cleaning organizations, covering six core areas: quality systems, service delivery, human resources, health and safety, environmental stewardship, and management commitment. Earning CIMS certification demonstrates that a cleaning company's operations, processes, and performance systems meet recognized industry standards.

CIMS is designed for building service contractors, in-house service providers, and other cleaning organizations in the United States and Canada that want to formalize and validate how they manage their operations. The certification process involves an independent assessment of the organization against the Standard's requirements across all six management areas.

An optional add-on designation, CIMS-GB (Green Building), is available for organizations whose practices align with the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) rating system. Achieving CIMS-GB can help a cleaning organization's clients earn LEED points while also demonstrating a broader commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible cleaning practices.