CHICAGO — One can define process engineering as designing, optimizing and managing industrial processes to operate efficiently, safely and economically.
There are benefits to documenting these processes. It provides a consistent, repeatable method of operation that can be accessed at any time and taught to new employees.
For industrial laundries where repeatable, teachable outcomes are vital, process engineering documentation can keep an operation working efficiently with consistent quality for its customers.
PROCESS RECHECKS, REVISIONS
How often should a laundry check its current operations against documented processes?
“I believe your process times should be checked twice a year,” shares David Griggs, general manager for Superior Linen Service’s healthcare division based in Oklahoma. “Your drying times will change seasonally, so a spring and fall check of times should be made.
“Other processes in your plant should at least be checked annually, unless you take on a large account or see a rapid growth cycle. At those times, you should check on this change, as it has likely altered your past processes.”
“The short answer is that documentation should be revisited annually, at a minimum. In practice, however, reviews should happen continuously,” points out David Bernstein, founder of Propeller Solutions Group in Livingston, Texas.
“If your documentation is treated as a living, breathing organism, then you and your team will be making small tweaks almost constantly. Certainly, any time a process improvement is made, but also when more significant changes occur in the plant, such as the installation of new equipment, chemical systems, changes in product mix, or a near-miss safety incident.
“When documentation fails to keep up with reality, the documentation loses credibility and enforceability. A cycle of regular review keeps documents relevant and reinforces a culture of continuous improvement.”
According to Griggs, there needs to be a documented issue before a laundry engineer should make a process change.
“An example may be if you find your hydraulic press no longer gives the desired pressure and therefore is not removing the same amount of water from your linen,” he shares. “If it is not repaired, all the documented process times downstream will be affected. Drying times will be longer, and the ironers will not produce at the same speed.
“If the decision is made not to correct the press, then you will need to change your documentation on what is expected. The same can be said if you install a new machine. Your expectations should also change so the documentation should be adjusted to reflect the new production or workflow.”
“In the previous answer, I noted that documentation should be reviewed constantly, with small tweaks happening almost every day and formal reviews at least annually,” says Bernstein. “The decision to actually revise a documented process, however, requires evidence that demonstrates the change will deliver improvement or shows that the current method compromises safety, quality, productivity or cost (or when compliance requirements change).
“This isn’t just my opinion. In fact, it follows the same discipline we use for process improvement: develop a hypothesis, test it, gather evidence, and then make the decision. Lean practitioners will recognize this as DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and control). While daily review helps identify opportunities, official revisions must be data-driven. This approach prevents backsliding by keeping documentation current but also avoids creating instability by changing processes based only on opinion or gut instinct.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
Accurate documentation of all areas in a laundry plant can help keep it on track and improving, Griggs shares.
“So many times, a laundry can make a change in one area or on a process and throw another area off,” he points out. “Then, a month or so later, you begin to backtrack where the system got derailed. Good documentation showing how everything was running will help you get back on track.”
“As I tell my clients and students nearly every day, laundries are manufacturing plants,” says Bernstein. “They may be handling textiles instead of car parts or electronics, but the principles of process engineering apply in the same way: safety, quality, productivity and customer satisfaction are all outcomes of disciplined, documented and well-managed processes.
“Too often I see leaders flying by the seat of their pants, making decisions based on subjective criteria and tribal knowledge. The power of process engineering is that it helps leaders make objective decisions about their operations and their people. This leads to safer, less wasteful, more productive organizations that produce better quality, foster more engaged employees, and achieve higher customer satisfaction and retention.
“That’s why I see process engineering not as an engineering function, but as a leadership responsibility. When leaders commit to documenting, measuring and improving processes, they empower their people to perform at their best, reduce risk, and build the stability needed to grow.”
Click HERE to read part 1, where two laundry experts share their definitions of process engineering. And click HERE for part 2 to learn what processes should be documented.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
