It’s no surprise that pinching pennies to save on pounds of laundry is the trend in the healthcare industry.

“We are looked at as a commodity. When we get a bid, it’s structured as ‘What’s the cheapest we can get?’ on linen,” says Liz Remillong, vice president of laundry services for Crothall Healthcare in Phoenix.

But that’s not the best way for healthcare executives to look at it, Remillong says. “Really, we are a service, we are not a product. You need to dig down to show them what really is important.”

A big reason for that attitude is that ...