The commercial laundry industry is easily one of the most exciting and promising sectors for new businesses and even the most established laundries. While industrial laundry solutions have much to do with this, what are the other trends propelling the sector to greater heights?
At present, the global industry is worth a staggering $2.25 billion USD. Over the next 6 years or so, it’s projected to grow by a further 700 million – promising figures at a time when the global economy is anything but stable.
To remain competitive and grab new markets, commercial laundries need to stay ahead of industry trends and best practices ricocheting across the global market. In today’s post, we uncover some of these!
The rise of smart, automated laundries
For laundries that run without the use of automation or leading commercial laundry solutions, the future is likely to be bleak if not non-existent.
Laundry technology is here to stay and, given the capabilities, these hardware and software solutions are packed with, it won’t be long before laundries are almost fully automated.
Here, we’re not just talking about smart washing machines and dryers that can be remotely operated, even though these are, undoubtedly, a part of futuristic commercial laundries. Commercial laundry management platforms, specifically those that leverage full laundry process management features including stock management and inventory control, ordering, invoicing, linen tracking, multi-site monitoring and management – to name just a few of their many functions – are the systems that will truly revolutionise the industry.
Data will be at the heart of commercial laundry operations
While the connection between data management and commercial laundries may seem tenuous, at best, data will soon be at the heart of every single decision these facilities make.
Through the use of analytics platforms – another core feature of sophisticated industrial laundry solutions – insights on all aspects of laundry operations are now literally fingertips away. Through the use of interactive dashboards, data is set to change the way operators run their facilities, allowing them to optimise everything from employee productivity to the type of wash cycle suitable for specific types of fabrics and linen.
This data will also cover other equally crucial areas of laundry activity including resource use. Moving into a future where resources will be more scarce, only cutting-edge analytics will allow businesses to become more efficient in terms of resource usage.
The rise of eco-friendly detergents and energy-efficient laundry machines
Another major trend likely to infiltrate the industry is the use of eco-friendly detergent in the washing process. While steps are now being taken to make detergent less harmful on the environment, the innovations in this field are nowhere near enough.
If you’re keen on hopping aboard this trend right away, simply look for detergents that are free of inorganic phosphates and contain surfactants that minimise environmental pollution when they become a water solution. The use of fragrance-free detergents is also beneficial given that they don’t use petroleum by-products.
Laundry machines, on the other hand, have advanced significantly in the past few years and now boast incredible energy efficiency scores. Washing machines are now using less water than before and when combined with other laundry features like solar power generation, industry trends are heralding a greener and cleaner future for commercial laundries.
Smartphones and remote connectivity
Given the dominance of the smartphone experience, it’s not surprising that industrial laundries will soon be connected and controllable via mobile devices. Especially in scenarios where operators are running multiple facilities, remote control is going to be a crucial feature for seamless service.
Leverage commercial laundry solutions and other trends to claim your stake in the industry!
With the global commercial laundry sector in a state of constant growth and advancement, businesses both entering and competing in this industry need to be on their toes to stay ahead. Half the hard work is complete, however, with the use of advanced industrial laundry solutions – a fact we’re happy to keep talking about.
You can also stay ahead by staying tuned to the Bundle blog; you can now dive into the latest trends, tech, and updates in the industry!