Headlines have been circling recently that the average hotel loses 10-20% of linens per month (2% due to theft). To combat this some 2,000 hotels have embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips in their towels, robes, bedsheets and other linen to track which linens make it to and from the cleaners and to keep real-time inventory. Roscoe “The Chicago Uniform Company” thinks this is phenomenal as it is technology we have been using with our garments and in our facility for quite some time now.
The SmarTrack© technology used at Roscoe is a combination of a bar code with a unique sequence number that transmits specific information to the rf chip when scanned. Using this has increased productivity standards internally as garments are able to be scanned in much quicker. The RFID chips have sped up processing by a day. Aside from being highly efficient, it is also completely safe and cost-effective for the Chicago mat company and for customers.
Because of this technology, we are able to provide customers valuable information through Roscoe’s online portal (http://www.ersocoe.com/chicago-work uniform-laundry-rental-service/login). Aside from accessing invoices, customers are also able to view usage information for specific wearers, see what an individual wearer is turning in for processing and receiving on a regular basis, any repairs that were completed and other account specific information.
The uniform company has several checkpoints where work uniforms and mats are scanned in and each station collects and saves history on each specific garment or mat. Therefore, information like when the product when into service, when and how many repairs were made on the garment and how many times it has been washed are readily available. Through this, the uniform services company is able to see the life cycle of a garment or a mat and also allows Roscoe to prorate work shirts, pants, butcher coats and so forth. RFID tracking tells us how long a garment has been in service, even if it was transferred from one wearer to another.
Products are also scanned out when ready for delivery which means we are able to account for everything that has been picked up and is staged for delivery. Another great benefit is this laundry service is able to reduce discrepancies in loads. If a garment somehow got separated from its correct load we are able to go back to the last station it was scanned in at and put it with the right bundle.
Overall, RFID technology provides accountability for our garments and mats. But, it also means:
- Less manual work
- Less costs
- Accurate real-time information
- Fast locating of products
- Possibility to record losses
- Improves efficiency
- Increases accuracy
A great piece of technology in supply chain management that can benefit countless industries. If you would like to learn more about the RFID chips in our uniform and mats and how we utilize it, please contact a uniform services representative.
Contact us to learn more about Roscoe: The Chicago Work Uniform Company
