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.
ESTABLISHING BENCHMARKS
Without a doubt, the most important piece of the benchmarking puzzle is determining labor efficiency. It’s estimated that labor costs represent 50% of a laundry’s operating budget. Given it’s often the most expensive cost, establishing measures to optimize your labor process is most critical. Other factors that are important in setting benchmarks are equipment usage and the types of cycles being programmed.
For managers just starting to benchmark, their authorized laundry equipment distributor or chemical supplier can help determine what cycles are best for their unique industry and operation. These knowledgeable professionals will be able to share industry standards and ensure you have the right cycles to meet your linen needs. For instance, it is common for an OPL in a healthcare setting to process 1.2 loads per hour, while it is closer to 1.5 loads per hour for hospitality venues.
If staff is not being as productive as they could be, not only can this cost you money, but the impact it has on the customer can be substantial. Consider this: If a hotel’s staff is not producing the adequate loads per hour, guests may need to wait to check in until the appropriate linens are cleaned and processed.
Additionally, the use of an advanced control system, which provides detailed reports and offers many features to increase staff productivity, can be a great tool to evaluate operational baseline measurements.
MONITORING BENCHMARKS
If managers can spend even a short period of time establishing these benchmarks, then monitoring and identifying areas for improvement becomes a much easier process.
In addition to helping evaluate baseline measurements, equipment featuring an advanced control system can aid in monitoring the standards in place. Such systems can actually generate detailed reports on how well the laundry is performing, which helps significantly reduce the amount of time a manager needs to commit to monitoring.
Advanced controls also make operational information available immediately with on-machine displays and have one-touch operation, making it simple to select and start a cycle. These features can help aide laundry staff in being as productive as possible.
Hershal Patel, along with his father Dennis Patel, owns and operates four hotels on the East Coast. 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. The partners agree that using equipment with innovative technology has made all the difference.
“It was an intriguing concept to us because it provided the ability to measure efficiency in the laundry operation. This is something that we know is lacking in our other hotels. The wireless network allows us to get a first-hand look at the laundry operation and is a valuable tool for employee productivity,” says Hershal Patel.
Check back Thursday for the conclusion!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].