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Measuring Operations for OPL Success (Conclusion)

Setting benchmarking standards can help business save time and money

RIPON, Wis. — Management’s No. 1 priority is keeping their customers happy, whether they’re hotel guests, residents of long-term care facilities or hospital patients. A well-run on-premises laundry operation is vital to creating a clean, comfortable and enjoyable experience for these customers.

One of the best ways to ensure a laundry is operating as effectively as possible is through benchmarking. By taking time and investing in the appropriate resources to set benchmark standards, an OPL manager can save time and money and run a more efficient business. 

IMPROVING BENCHMARKS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Knowing an operation’s benchmarks is one thing, but improving the laundry’s performance is another. While it may seem like an intimidating task, recent technological advances can help positively impact an operation’s bottom line.

More than 75% of commercial laundry managers and distributors believe OPLs over-dry linens by more than eight minutes per cycle. By installing tumble dryers that feature integrated moisture-sensing technology, a manager can take much of the guesswork out of dry times, and will save on labor and energy costs and extend the life of the linens. 

When this technology is paired with an advanced controls system’s reporting, a manager can see whether that guideline is being followed, or if staff is programming in extra drying time “just to be safe.”

“As compared to our other properties, we have seen a measurable difference in less drying time as a result of the 400-G-force washers coupled with the dryers’ over-dry prevention technology. The additional benefit is the difference in our linen life. By eliminating over-drying, our linens are softer and we can provide our guests with a better experience,” says Hershal Patel, who owns and operates four hotels on the East Coast with his father Dennis Patel. In their newest hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott of Chicopee, Mass., the partners installed equipment with advanced control systems to more efficiently run their business.

With washer-extractors, a laundry’s benchmarks can be improved through the use of spray-rinse technology, which pulls wash chemistry through the load and carries away dirt and chemicals. Not only does this provide a more effective rinse, but this practice minimizes the water required to rinse a load, reducing cycle time and potentially improving throughput by as much as 12%.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Keeping in mind that every operation is different, here are some additional examples of what managers should consider when setting, monitoring and/or improving benchmarks: 

The downtime spent between the moment when washer-extractors stop and when the drying process begins can quickly add up. For example, during the noon hour productivity stops, but the lunch break is a valuable time to run the longest cycle of the day. Through benchmarks and monitoring, a manager who thought he had to add more labor may discover all he really needs is to train personnel in how to make the transfer more efficiently.

Setting a benchmark that “x” number of loads should be processed each shift can prompt laundry staff to load dirty linens and program an advanced start for the following morning. This way, linens are washed and ready to be transferred to a tumble dryer as soon as the morning shift arrives, saving about a half-hour of time and labor costs.

A typical hotel laundry operation processes high volumes of lightly soiled linens. As bedding and towels are not typically very dirty after one-time use, they can be washed in a light-soil cycle. Doing so not only takes less time, but is more efficient by using less water. Knowing one’s light-soil benchmark, which is typically 80% of all loads for hotels, can help a manager save on labor and utility costs.

While the practice of setting and monitoring benchmarks may initially seem like a time-intensive one, a manager can greatly improve his or her operation’s efficiency and productivity by embracing the newest technology and engaging with a knowledgeable distributor and chemical partner. When fully integrated, these strategies can achieve week-over-week, month-over-month and year-over-year improvements in a laundry’s operations.

tape measures

(Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Stephan Zabel)

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].