RAIN RFID Optimizes Laundry Management for Les Lavandières de Provence
Using Impinj RAIN RFID tag chips and readers, HID transforms high-volume laundry management by optimizing processes, reducing operational costs, and improving client services.
Transforming the linen supply chain with RAIN RFID
High-volume linen management can pose challenges like time-consuming and error-prone manual counting, linen loss, or stock mismanagement. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the hospitality industry came to a halt, Les Lavandières de Provence decided to tackle these challenges all at once with RAIN RFID.
The French industrial laundry company offers linen rental and maintenance services to hospitality businesses like restaurants and hotels. Les Lavandières de Provence, which owns all the linen it rents to customers, manages more than 60,000 pieces of linen and processes about 11,000 pounds of linen a day.
Les Lavandières de Provence worked with Impinj partner HID to implement RAIN RFID across the laundry management process, from textile tags sewn into each linen to readers installed at the facility to track the items. HID's LinTRAK(R) tags, equipped with Impinj tag chips and designed to withstand extreme environments like repeated washings and water extraction presses, formed the cornerstone of this integrated RAIN RFID solution.
RAIN RFID is helping Les Lavandières de Provence:
- Reduce operational costs with automated, accurate, high-volume item counting
- Achieve better quality control with precise item lifespan data for guaranteed top-grade linen supply
- Optimize stock rotations with complete insight into item movement across the supply chain
- Improve service and employee efficiency with better task and time management
Optimizing systems with a custom solution
Considering the large volume of linen processing involved, Les Lavandières de Provence was trying to address overtime labor costs driven up by manual errors and decreasing customer satisfaction due to stock availability concerns. It was also trying to solve the operational challenge of linen losses, with some customers losing 30-60% of their rented linen.
A team headed by Les Lavandières de Provence founder and director Laurence Hakimi decided to make the most of slow business during the pandemic and took the digital leap, equipping the laundry company’s entire process with RAIN RFID — including tagging all its linen stock.
Here’s how the solution was implemented:
- HID experts began the retrofit with a detailed on-site analysis of the processes and operational flows at Les Lavandières de Provence, determining the exact RAIN RFID equipment required.
- HID LinTRAK tags, powered by the Impinj M730 RAIN RFID tag chip, were sewn onto each piece of linen. These robust tags are designed for optimal reading performance in dense environments and can withstand repeated washings, detergents, water extraction presses, and high temperatures.
- Handheld and fixed RAIN RFID readers, including the Impinj R700 reader, were positioned or installed at different stations of the laundry cycle to automatically collect data from the linen tags, allowing Les Lavandières de Provence to store, analyze, and act on information in real-time with HID’s linen management platform.
Peak performance and efficiency with RAIN RFID
HID’s RAIN RFID solution has transformed how Les Lavandières de Provence uses technology to achieve high efficiency and optimized process management.
Reduced operational costs with accurate high-volume counting
RAIN RFID-enabled automated counting of hundreds of items in seconds reduced operational costs for Les Lavandières de Provence. For instance, certain zones in the laundry cycle no longer require staff for time-consuming tasks like manual counting.
Better quality control with precise item lifespan data
Les Lavandières de Provence now has better control over the quality of each piece of linen and can determine when an item is reaching the end of its lifespan so it can be replaced. Thanks to the availability of in-depth RAIN RFID data, high-end customers are guaranteed high-quality linen every time.
Optimized stock rotations with insight into supply chain
Les Lavandières de Provence gained insight into exactly how many items — and exactly which ones — are at customer sites, in transit, or in different laundry zones, enabling efficient management and distribution of linen. Additionally, when there is an unusually high rate of linen losses at a specific client site, it is now easy to identify trends and take corrective measures.
Improved service and employee efficiency with better time management
Along with improving customer service with actionable insights like item lifespan data, RAIN RFID solutions help boost employee efficiency by reducing manual processes, thus freeing up laundry operators to focus on other tasks.
HID and the Impinj Partner Network
HID is a leading RFID smart component supplier for systems integrators, application developers, and OEMs serving various markets, including laundry and linen management, logistics, waste management, returnable transport items (RTI), asset tracking, automation, medical, and animal identification. You can check out HID on the Impinj Partner Directory and learn more about the Impinj Partner Network.
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Tuesday, February 27, 2024
ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
Les Lavandières de Provence
Les Lavandières de Provence is a family-owned industrial laundry management business located in Rognac, France. It specializes in the rental and maintenance of linen for hotels, restaurants, and medical establishments.
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