Lavatec’s Ware agreed. “Often we are asked to track utilities in our control systems, which we have the capability to do, but when it is explained to the end user that the meters for gas, elec- tricity and water can run into the thousands of dollars, many operators avoid the costs and look to manually track this infor- mation with an employee. But when you add up the daily hours and time being a meter manager, the cost of the meters is paid off in less than a year or two.”


WHERE TO GO FOR HELP


Whether you already have equipment that puts out data, or you are planning to buy some, how do you get up to speed on handling it?


Distributors and their technicians expect to train new owners on the operations of equipment; that includes how to access the data and what to do with it. Even if you’ve had the equip- ment for some time, don’t hesitate to call your distributor for a refresher. When a new machine comes in, it can be overwhelm- ing trying to learn all the features and get the equipment up and running quickly, much less the intricacies of data management. They’re there to help; let them share their expertise. It goes beyond simple data collection, of course. “Preventive maintenance is part of operating equipment and must be fol-


lowed,” said Mignardi. “We provide our customers with the steps required for their equipment and solvents. We recommend that these steps be posted on the side of the machines, along with the MSDS sheet for the solvents.”


Even though you may know how to deal with the data, are you getting everything out of it you can? “The system needs to be part of the regular performance review of any laundry oper- ation, and all stakeholders need to be brought into the discus- sion,” said Harco’s Caldwell. He suggested that the data stream be used to measure what is going on and what is expected of each operator. This is a valuable personnel management tool, as well as a mechanical one.


“When Girbau Industrial installs a Con- Seth Willer


tinuous Batch Washing System, we train managers and oper ators to fully utilize the control,” said Seth Willer, national sales manager. “But if a question does arise, we are only a phone call away.” As they say, the only stupid question is the one that never gets asked. You paid for it; get your money’s worth.


Technology Showcase


ALLIANCE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS


Speed Queen Quantum Jim Rosenthal


www.alliancels.com


Quantum controls offer cus- tomers the ability to access usage data, generate revenue reports based on time of day, multi-level pricing and cycle modifiers. The system captures the data from any networked machine in the store through at-a-glance snapshots of store performance.


CONTINENTAL GIRBAU ProfitPlus®


Joel Jorgensen www.cgilaundry.com


All Continental washers for vended laundries feature this control. It is highly program- mable and seamlessly interfac- es with payment/management systems, allowing owners to track data, run promotions and generate an array of reports over an internet con-


Control


COLMAC AccuCounter David Rinella


Continental Girbau ProfitPlus® Screen 10 FABRICARE CANADA January/February 2018


www.colmacindustries.com This is a vacuum and light frame soiled linen counting system that utilizes bar code scanners and touchscreen interface to select the items to be counted. Items are recorded and documented for inven tory replacement, and damaged items are flagged for abuse charges. Also records work time and production rate for employees, serving as a sub- stitute time clock, so bonus- es can be paid for those who


Colmac AccuCounter


We gave those we interviewed the opportunity to tell us more about one of their systems, to give a glimpse of what is on the market. The list below is in alphabetical order by company.


nection. Owners can program all cycle options (including variables within the extra wash, extra rinse, SuperWash and extra spin cycles) as well as tweaking vending prices by penny increments, and lower water temperatures and levels. Multiple machines can be pro- grammed at once, or individ- ually, using graphic icons.


exceed the posted production goal rate. Piece count data is transferred to accounting programs for figuring the cus- tomers’ invoices. Instead of guessing or taking a custom- er’s word for inappropriate or missing inventory levels, the laundry has an exact inventory replacement system, providing peace of mind to operator and customer.


GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL Batch Management Tool (BMT) Seth Willer


www.cgilaundry.com


BMT oversees the operation of the Continuous Batch Wash- ing System, including loading conveyors, continuous batch


Girbau Industrial BMT control screen


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