As laundry operators look to a new year, the drive to enhance competitiveness shows no signs of waning. While economic uncertainty continues to roil expansion plans, laundry operators are forging ahead with innovations in logistics, i.e., the movement of textiles from soil sort to packout and delivery. Below, we consider a range of issues.
Greater Speed & Precision
Few would question that the mid-2020s is witnessing a continued push to improve logistics by automating processes for moving textiles from one stage of production to the next. “There has been a huge leap forward in technology over the last 10 years,” says Gerard O’Neill, a consultant and president of American Laundry Systems, Derry, NH. In 20-plus years, O’Neill has overseen the construction and/or build-out of more than 100 linen uniform and facility services plants. He sees progress coming in areas including:
- automated monorail/material handling and automated soil sorting
- auto-recognition of tears and stains (via cameras and software, which have improved “exponentially”)
- recognition of foreign objects (e.g., pens or healthcare “sharps”)
- customer or batch tracking of textiles from soil to finish.
“And the list goes on and on,” O’Neill says. “All of this helps dramatically with efficient flow through a facility, all the while reducing the number of times that goods are touched by a human hand.” No one we spoke with thinks that these trends will lead to employee layoffs. Aside from attrition, most staff will redeploy to new value-added tasks. At the same time, technology has great potential for reducing lost-time incidents, O’Neill says. “Safety and infection control have gotten a lot better with these innovations,” he notes, adding that, “With properly maintained equipment and a predictive-maintenance philosophy, PPOH (pounds per operator hour) of 200 or more are reachable in well-run operations.”
Another source of improved logistics performance centers on tech advances linked to the ability of operators to manage production data. Roger Harris, CEO of Metro Linen, McKinney, TX, says the combined strength of automation and advanced data analytics is making a big difference on the logistics side for laundry operators. “Robots, RFID, route-accounting data, piece identification, data from finishing/drying, data for load-out, delivery, all contribute to efficiencies gained in processing,” says Harris, who is also treasurer of TRSA. “Data collection from utility sources also can contribute to the management of information systems and aid in processing efficiencies.”
Andrew Thornbury, COO of Miller’s Textile Services in Wapakoneta, OH, seconded the idea that automation and advanced data analytics serve as a kind of “one-two punch” that can aid the industry’s growth by adding speed and precision to the laundry process. “Automation and robotics accelerate material flow by reducing manual handling,” Thornbury says. “Automated sorting, RFID scanning and finishing equipment move goods more quickly and with fewer errors. This allows our team to focus on higher-value tasks, while increasing plant throughput.”
All this results in fewer textile “touches,” says O’Neill. “Reducing the number of times a human hand touches laundry once it is sorted is key to higher production efficiencies.” Key steps include:
- auto-loading the machinery to the correct poundage (for washers and dryers)
- auto-feeding the finishing equipment (ironing lines, small-piece folders, blanket folders, mat-rolling machines, uniform finishing and sortation equipment, etc.) with the correctly conditioned and non-conditioned goods from an overhead rail/monorail system.
- Continuous tracking of customer goods reduces the number of full-time employees (FTEs), while boosting PPOH significantly.
How much labor savings are we talking about? O’Neill estimates that, “Reducing the staffing/production employees by up to and over 50% can be achieved with the right level of automation.”
Harris says that improving efficiency and saving labor means fewer manual tasks, such as pushing carts around. “Any contribution to management aids in establishing higher productivity and eliminating wasted efforts.” Thornbury adds that redeploying employees to other areas is a win-win for staff, managers and, ultimately, customers—thanks to improved logistical capabilities. “Reducing labor dependency streamlines logistics,” he says. “When automation handles repetitive, heavy or otherwise undesirable tasks, employees can be redeployed to focus on higher-value tasks such as quality control, customer care, or equipment oversight. This creates a smoother and more efficient overall process.”
Sustainable Benefits
Another advantage of automating systems is that today’s wash aisle equipment is engineered for more efficient use of water and natural gas. This may not always improve logistics, but saving on utilities in today’s market is nonetheless valuable for your bottom line, while also benefiting the environment. “Improving sustainability while reducing utilities can go hand in hand,” says Thornbury. Savings on water and gas can boost efficiency while lowering overall cost. Operators can reinvest these savings in additional advanced equipment and human capital. “This fuels a cycle of continuous improvement,” he says. “If done with purpose, vision and a clear long-term strategy, sustainability efforts not only shrink environmental impact but also move goods through the laundry faster, more consistently and at higher quality.”
Harris notes that while saving on utilities won’t automatically boost logistical performance, there’s still value in it. “Reducing utility consumption doesn’t necessarily contribute to the velocity of product through processing, depending on how the reduction is achieved,” Harris says. “A lower BTU consumption will reduce operating costs. Reducing water consumption would likely reduce program wash times and fill times, thereby increasing productivity. A reduction in thermal consumption to remove moisture in drying or finishing could reduce overall process times. If the reduction in energy does not increase processing time, there would appear to be benefits.”
O’Neill adds that utility savings tend to strengthen logistical performance. However, he cautioned that operators should ensure that wash aisle production doesn’t exceed the finishing side’s processing capacity. “Using less water in the wash process will typically result in reduced dry times, as there is less water to remove from the goods being dried or conditioned (resulting in less gas being used),” he says. “With the advances in technology, reducing wash times, dry times, etc., will naturally speed up the process of moving goods through the plant—as long as your finishing side can handle the increased washroom throughput. As a rule, the finishing side must have more throughput capacity vs. the washroom, so you are ‘pulling’ through the plant and not ‘pushing.’”
Digital Tracking
We’ve noted that tracking goods via radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and similar technologies can boost logistical capabilities. For Thornbury, production tracking is critical because it enables managers to know exactly where things stand in the plant. That, in turn, helps them to maximize the benefits of high-tech equipment. “Digital production tracking creates visibility into bottlenecks and inefficiencies across the plant,” Thornbury says. “With RFID, productivity software, AI cameras and data analytics, we can monitor every step of a textile’s journey, optimize workflow and make real-time decisions that improve speed and accuracy.”
Harris concurred, adding that data tracking helps improve logistical performance by providing managers with reliable numbers to keep them informed on developments at the plant and with customers. O’Neill noted that, “Information is key. Tracking the customer and/or goods automatically cuts down on errors and eliminates the human-error factor that will inevitably show its head daily in a manually run facility.” Data can also help determine when it’s time to order new textiles or, with customer-owned textiles, to keep customers apprised on the condition of their inventory. “Tracking the goods by owners, or type of goods, along with how many times they have been washed/processed and repaired, can also help the plant/facility manage the purchases of new linens or uniforms, mats, etc.,” O’Neill says.
Operators with data tracking and other advanced technologies may also gain a competitive advantage in marketing their services to hotels or healthcare providers that operate on-premise laundries (OPLs). Harris says it’s essential to demonstrate to OPL prospects the benefits of more effective data use. These include support for the tracking of customer linen usage, linen inventories and enhanced product life-cycle management. Thornbury says data tracking gives companies like Miller’s Textile Services a competitive advantage when seeking to close and replace OPLs with outsourcing. “Strong logistics demonstrate reliability,” he says. “Hotels and hospitals want confidence that their linens will arrive clean, on time and in full. By showcasing our efficiency, consistency and data-backed service, we make outsourcing more attractive than maintaining an in-house operation. Another issue is labor, which is costly and subject to high turnover. “Plants that build logistical strengths through automation can produce more, better, faster and at a lower total cost than those relying solely on manual labor,” Thornbury says. “As labor becomes scarcer, it will be the automated facilities that continue to thrive.”
For O’Neill, sharing the numbers on savings makes the most compelling argument for closing OPLs in favor of outsourcing linen or uniform services. “Show them (OPLs) the numbers,” he says. “Show them the true cost of their operations vs. outsourcing…typically the savings are significant (25%-50% in some cases). However, a significant factor in convincing them to close, is to remind them that the space freed up is worth it. In some cases, a hotel or hospital is landlocked and in desperate need of more space. Closing the OPL would be a huge benefit to them. Turn a cost center (OPL) into a profit-margin maker or enhancer by using the freed-up space for a gym, or a spa, or medical-records storage, or an MRI/X-ray department, etc., would be much more attractive than an on-site laundry.”
Logistics & Safety
A qualified route-accounting partner can also assist with logistics, particularly for companies that utilize RFID technology. “Route-accounting innovations—especially when paired with RFID-tagged textiles—give operators real-time visibility into customer inventory and production needs,” Thornbury says. “This enables operators to produce the right items in the right quantity at the right time, while optimizing truck utilization and improving delivery accuracy. At the same time, streamlined invoicing and reduced errors create a smoother flow of goods from plant to customer.” Harris adds that route-accounting systems can help laundries improve planning, which can make a difference in logistics management. “Getting better management data to plan routes, load-out of exact product required, and potentially identify and track item usage is helpful,” he says. Another benefit is gaining information on soil counts and data to prepare products for future load requirements.
If a laundry improves its logistical practices with data tracking and automation, can these efforts also benefit safety? O’Neill says yes, noting that:
- Reducing the number of FTEs in most cases means fewer accidents/workers’ comp claims.
- Reducing the number of times the production staff touch the textiles means fewer incidents.
- Reducing the number of carts after soil sort through to clean-goods makeup also will likely reduce the number of cart collisions, strains, etc., involving staff.
Harris adds that simply reducing the amount of manual labor activity in a plant typically means fewer safety incidents. “A reduction in employee headcount reduces risk,” he says. “Processing just the required items in a more efficient manner potentially decreases risk as well as processing times.
For Thornbury, improving efficiency is a two-sided coin. “Safety and efficiency go hand in hand,” he says. “Well-designed workflows reduce congestion and manual lifting, while automation tools minimize repetitive strain. By combining lean logistics with safety-first practices, plants can move goods more efficiently, while protecting their most valuable asset—their people. Tools like conveyance systems and liftgates, once uncommon, are now standard. The next wave—robotic sorting and finishing, automated material handling and load-building, and even autonomous tugs and drones—will further elevate both logistics and safety.”
Based on the comments noted above, improving logistics is a win-win for laundry management, employees and—by extension—customers. In the plant, congested work floors will become more spacious, with fewer people pushing carts, as conveyors and overhead rail systems assume a greater share of the workload. In most cases today, companies still rely on staff for soil sorting and clean-side feeding, inspection and packout. But that too is changing, as we’ve seen in recent tours of European plants. And as most anyone who attended the Aug. 23-26 Clean Show in Orlando, FL, knows, there’s growing interest in automation/robotics to help with soil sort and finishing as well.
Clearly, the technology necessary to turbocharge your throughput is available now—from robotics to route accounting, RFID and other forms of product tracking, as well as more durable, quick-drying textiles and advanced water- and energy-saving machinery. The only question is: Are you ready—starting today—to seize this opportunity to pursue future growth? TS
JACK MORGAN is senior editor of Textile Services. Contact him at 540.613.5070 or jmorgan@trsa.org.
