Laundry businesses that strive to be lean are on a quest. Their mission is to find ways to eliminate wasteful time, movements and materials. The savings that accrue from these efforts enable them to focus more on what customers value.
 
But being lean—like being green—isn’t easy, says laundry management consultant J.R. Ryan. “Lots of companies say they’re lean, when they mean they’ve just laid off people. Waste must be eliminated in order to reduce the amount of work and therefore people, while still providing a value-added product or service to the customer.”
 
Truly being ...