LOUISVILLE — Some early arrivers for this week’s Association for Linen Management Annual Conference learned What to Expect from a Quality Laundry Processor on Thursday.
In a pre-conference session at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, industry veteran Carl Rau, Standard Textile Co., examined what a “quality” laundry processor looks like. The company’s manager of North American Laundry Markets addressed what should be reasonable expectations for laundry services, the rights of a healthcare facility, and the facility’s responsibilities.
Outsourcing of laundry services by healthcare facilities is becoming more prevalent due to cost-related reasons, according to Rau. Some of these include:
• Need for ongoing capital dollars
• Space for revenue generation
• Cost control
• Labor issues
• Volatile energy costs
• Increasing water/sewer charges
• Need for technology to improve processes and increase efficiencies
When in the market for a processor, Rau suggests utilizing requests for proposals (RFPs). This tool will help to clearly define detailed service requirements, including identifying organizational goals/objectives and stakeholders, and comparing one service offering to another.
Rau favors using an “evaluation matrix,” another tool to evaluate, compare and rate different companies. Criteria might include the overall proposal (did the company supply all information required for the RFP?); years in service and plant visitation; customer references; customer service and support; regulatory compliance; contract terms; and cost, he says.
In other association news, attendees learned that ALM plans to offer online interactive training through a series of monthly webinars beginning this fall. Topics are to include parts purchasing, ozone efficiencies, a linen inventory primer, and infection control on the “clean side” of the laundry, among others.
The full conference opens today and runs through Sunday. ALM will crown its Heywood Wiley Manager of the Year and Allied Tradesperson of the Year during a banquet Saturday.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].