Shrinkage Reduction via Laundry Pool System with RFID
Textile logistics in accommodation establishments require a smooth circulation of laundry items between the laundry company and the establishment. As a rule, accommodation establishments keep 5 times the quantity of laundry items on reserve to ensure that sufficient linen is always available, even at very high occupancy rates. Optimally, the number of available linens should be documented correctly and in real time. The textiles should also be locatable.
At the textile service provider Stich, a total of 70,000 textile items were tagged with UHF RFID transponders and the respective IDs were entered into an IT-supported pool system.
The Bremen-based textile service provider Stich processes around 26 tons of laundry every day. 110 employees work for the third-generation family business. 11 trucks cover a business radius of 150 kilometers to the North German islands every day.
Process Requirements
The textile service provider Stich provides UHF RFID-tagged rental linens in a pool system for accommodation establishments. High-priced textile pieces – including embroidery – are costly. UHF RFID tags are used to eliminate theft and shrinkage, as well as to transparently document linen cycles.
Objectives for Accommodation Establishments
- Shrinkage reduction and localization
- Reducing investment volume
- Eliminate shrinkage
- Transparently document laundry cycles
Solution by Wäscherei Stich
A total of 70,000 textile items from Stich's pool system are tagged with UHF RFID transponders. Two methods are used for this: the UHF RFID transponders are patched in the laundry or – especially for newer goods – sewn into the hem by the textile supplier. High-priced laundry items in particular, such as bath and sauna towels, are tagged with UHF RFID transponders for security reasons to prevent theft.
Costs
The cost of patching or sewing is at 1.50 euros per piece. A total of six UHF RFID readers are installed, two in the incoming goods area and four in the finishing area of the laundry company. Laundry processing in the pool system increases the laundry company's overall production output by 20 percent. The main advantage is that machines no longer have to be set up for specific customers. By pooling all customer textiles, production downtimes are avoided.
Advantages
Cleaned goods can be packed for transport before dirty laundry is delivered. The use of the pool system balances out the different levels of laundry turnover among individual customers. The result: reduced overall inventory and costs.
- Cheaper prices for the rental linen
- Requirement of proof: Theft is localized and documented
- Total inventory is reduced, guaranteed inventory on-site.
- Reduced own investment
- Accurate inventory: shrinkage reduction and localization
- Decrease in costs and investment volume
Outlook
- The next step is to increase the laundry's tagged textile pieces to a total of 150,000
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