Cover story by Becca Anderson Malcolm Caldwell


“What gets measured is what gets man- aged,” said Malcolm Caldwell of Harco. “For years, large industrial laundries have relied on key data to manage utilities, maintenance and labour, while smaller operations were often left in the dark in terms of detailed analysis. Those days are long past with high-performing micropro- cessors controlling and analyzing all func-


tions of washers and dryers, with links to Wi-Fi networks for remote monitoring of all key functions by management.”


DOLLARS IN THE DATA


“Data is a topic that many in our industry are still not grasping properly and mak- ing efficient use of,” said Steve Wilbur, director of engineering and product devel- opment for G.A. Braun. “There is a great deal of ‘low hanging fruit’ that can be captured and turned into profits through the proper use of data and metrics. Examples include weight and machine utilization. Using data provided by either rail or load conveyors, operators can ensure they are loading their tunnels or washer extractors to rated load weight. Weights are often neglected or unmanaged, allowing light loads to dominate, forc- ing additional expense of chemistry and utilities to process more small loads unnecessarily.” Machines broadcast data regarding when a machine is work- ing, and when it is idle. That downtime is costing money. They also are proactive in issuing maintenance notifications, so that work can be done on a machine in a reasonable way, not on an emergency basis.


Steve Wilbur “Using this information allows operators to ensure that the


root cause of idle/downtime is identified and dealt with. Mon- itoring machine utilization can bring significant upsides when that extra capacity is used,” said Wilbur.


PULLING IT TOGETHER Keith Ware


“Data from equipment is only helpful when utilized through a data management and collection system to generate specific benchmarks and reports that each indi- vidual operator is seeking to utilize,” said Keith Ware, vice-president of sales for


Lavatec Laundry Technology. “Most current laundry manufac- turers utilize data collection on individual pieces of equipment. While this information is useful to that specific machine opera- tor, it is like only measuring the air in one of your vehicle tires. Newer systems take this large volume of individual data and sort and compile it into useful, easy-to-read reports.”


“Absent action, data is just data,” said Kathryn Rowen, North American sales manager for Huebsch. “Owners must determine what information is meaningful to them and then act on it – putting it to use marketing their business.”


Bill Brooks


machines. Pricing can be adjusted for slow periods and busy times, with higher pricing when greater volume is being pro- cessed, all from a smartphone or other interface.”


YOU DON’T NEED A COMPUTER DEGREE Manufacturers have worked hard to make the data a machine or system presents as user friendly and accessible as possible. In speaking about the Quantum system, Jim Rosenthal, North American sales man- ager for Speed Queen, said, “Our goal for


Jim Rosenthal


the system was to make it simple to get at-a-glance snapshots on the store’s performance. The vended laundry market is rapidly changing. Owners increasingly need a system that gives them the full picture – both financial and operational performance – to effectively manage their stores to maximum profitability.” He reported that feedback from owners has been positive. “They are indeed utilizing the system at great depth.” Rowen called the Huebsch Command System ‘beyond easy to learn and operate’. Part of this ease is that the operator can choose whether to get a quick view of things or look further. “The system offers real-time data snapshots of laundry oper- ations, including instantaneous service alerts for equipment issues. On the other hand, they can dive deeper into the data as time permits to better manage all elements of the business. The best of both worlds.”


The UniMac TotalVue system has many of the same features. “It’s fairly intuitive, and operators can dig as deep as they like into the data,” said Bill Brooks, North American sales manager for UniMac. “As with any system that offers access to this amount of operational information, there really is a range of users. Executives may only use the dashboard reports to get a


snapshot of the operation’s overall efficiency. However, those involved in the day-to-day activity of the laundry are leverag- ing significantly more detail to adjust processes to maximize throughput, efficiency and overall finished quality. I believe we will continue to see deeper usage of the system as managers get more comfortable digging into the information most meaningful to them.”


A good system is self-teaching. “The ProfitPlus®


steps owners through the options,” said Joel Jorgensen, vice-president of sales for Continental Girbau. “Multiple machines can be programmed at once, or they can be programmed individually. For owners with coin-only laundries, the system allows for quick programming by machine using graphic icons.”


AN ARM AND A LEG? Kathryn Rowen Ernesto Rodrigues


Thanks to the internet, data is accessible from anywhere, and enables a coin store operator the luxury of seeing what is going on in all his or her stores in real time without leaving home – or the beach, for that matter. Ernesto Rodrigues, director of product training for Laundrylux, said customers are pleased with the flexibility. “They can log into one store or all of them, adjust prices, run spe- cials and monitor problems with specific


When contemplating a multi-thousand dollar purchase, it may be hard to make yourself pay a bit more for data-generating add-ons. After all, your credit line and bank account are finite. But what might it cost you to not have those additional systems?


“It is human nature for people to try to save money on large equipment pur- chases and therefore they shy away from additional costs,” said Lou Mignardi of Dalex. “Perhaps they may not be offered the added options by their distributors. These options will exponentially increase efficiency for a marginal price increase.”


Control


Joel Jorgensen


Lou Mignardi 2018 January/February FABRICARE CANADA 9


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