Within the commercial laundry industry, remaining competitive and efficient is key to enjoying continuous growth. In this manner, software-driven laundry management systems are an increasingly popular solution for better performance and service delivery.
So, what are these systems and what do they offer visionary commercial laundries?
Diving into the specifics of these platforms, our blog this week outlines the salient features of laundry management systems. Continue reading to find out!
How do laundry management systems work?
With a strong focus on productivity and efficiency, laundry management systems are those that optimise the performance of all aspects of modern commercial laundries.
In this regard, these solutions cover washroom operations, dispatch, administration, company reporting, and even financial software integration. Here, the recording of washload throughputs, inventory control, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) garment tracking, optimised GPS routes, and customer relationship management, are some of the specific features businesses can enjoy.
Owing to their comprehensive nature, therefore, these systems completely revolutionise how commercial laundries operate; improving service delivery above and beyond the initial investment.
Let’s take a look at some of these features in-depth.
Inventory control
As highlighted above, most top-notch laundry management systems utilise RFID technology to allow for enhanced inventory control.
For commercial laundries that rent out linen to large corporations in the hospitality and healthcare industries, RFID is a useful way to keep track of every item that goes out.
Not only is this useful in preventing loss and potential mix-ups, but it also ensures accountability among a variety of clients. This, alone, represents significant savings for laundry businesses. In addition to this, however, RFID also allows operators to understand exactly which stage in the wash cycle each piece of linen needs to be directed to.
Through the use of RFID readers, the fabric in each item is read, automatically directing it to the right machine, reducing the need for human labour in this process. Thus, the RFID technology inherent to certain laundry management systems reduces cost and improves efficiency, allowing laundries to provide top-notch service to commercial clients.
Customer Relationship Management
Another key aspect of laundry management systems is their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities.
Here, laundries are able to automate the delivery appointment process with clients and maintain a comprehensive log of customer details, allowing for reliable and consistent service. For systems that also provide customer portal services, this allows end clients to place new orders or schedule laundry pick-ups with greater ease than traditional methods.
Not only does this allow commercial laundries to operate in a seamless and coherent way, but it also improves customer experience and satisfaction. Human error on the part of employees is also greatly reduced.
Professional billing and accounting
Another feature laundry owners can look forward to, in this regard, are professional billing and accounting services.
Leading laundry management systems allow the integration of financial software that enables laundries to conduct their accounting process without the need for separate databases. With this functionality, not only can employees generate invoices for various services, but track revenue and expenses, as well as calculate net income and perform other accounting activities.
Some systems also auto-generate reports, making the reporting process significantly easier as well.
Administration and employee management
Another functionality that laundries can leverage with these systems is employee management and administration.
Here, managers can assign tasks to employees with ease and follow up accordingly, preventing inefficiencies and lags in delivery. This also allows for tailored control over internal operations through specific access to certain functions – like invoice generation – through the laundry management system.
Managers can also track employee performance against assigned tasks, ensuring that commercial laundries run like clockwork.
Key takeaways
Laundry management systems represent the future of the commercial laundry industry.
Owing to increasing demand and the growing complexity of internal and external operations, these solutions are the best way to remain reliable and efficient. Given the nature of commercial clients, laundries that wish to remain competitive are best left to manage their service delivery through laundry management systems.
