Contact: Alliant Systems 909 Lake Carolyn Parkway, Suite 1150 Irving, TX 75039 Phone (972) 331-5060 Fax (972) 331-5061 Contact: Eric Smith esmith@alliantsystems.net
Feb 2004 By George Ferencz Jr.
There is now no question that TRSA members want to learn how technology can help them improve their operations. The 102 attendees at the TRSA Technology Committee's first Tech Summit, Dec. 10-12, 2003 in Tarrytown, NY, are a testament to the industry's interest in IT.
"Technology impacts all aspects of our business. No longer is technology limited to the office: (it has an impact) throughout the organization," says Technology Committee vice chair-man Scott Bachrach, Unitex Textile Rental Services information technology manager. "Events like the TRSA Technology Summit are critical to the continued well-being of the industry."
Not only did the Tech Summit draw substantial attendance, but there were also six times as many textile rental operators as there were industry vendors. With such enthusiastic attendance, it is easy to understand why members are calling the event a success. According to evaluations completed by attendees, 70% said the summit exceeded their expectations.
As this was the first conference coordinated by the TRSA Tech Committee, the group decided to present a broad range of issues in order to determine those that appealed most to textile rental operators. The committee's job of culling the field of topics for future summits won't be easy, as evaluations showed significant interest in all of the presentations. An overview follows.
Mobile computing case studies: Jeff Belcher and Eric Smith of IPC Systems Ltd. discussed advances in hand-held technology on the route. Belcher and Smith presented examples of successful implementations of mobile computing in textile rental facilities. Simplifying delivery adjustments through hand-helds was spotlighted as a major benefit of the technology. Additional benefits were elimination of adjustment errors, enforcement of business rules on the route and reduction in time to settle routes.
RFID: Issues to be reviewed when considering RFID as a tool/application updates: Datamars' Bill Dougherty presented an overview of RFID technology as applied in the textile rental industry. Dougherty explained how the technology is being implemented now in 150 textile rental plants in the United States and more than 600 facilities around the world. Attendees heard about real-life examples of RFID utilization in the sorting room, stock room, route make-up areas, depots and other areas of the plant.
Customer resource management (CRM) systems: Scott Bachrach of Unitex Textile Rental Services and Julie Westphal from Westphal Consulting Group led a discussion group with a demonstration of Goldmine, a CRM system. The benefits of CRM systems were enumerated using examples from a sample database from Unitex. Bachrach discussed user interaction while Westphal reviewed implementation and maintenance of a successful CRM system.
ROI on laundry information systems: ABS Laundry Logic's Anne de Boer discussed how textile rental companies could achieve a return on investment from new technologies. He examined recent changes in industry information technologies, especially route accounting systems. De Boer dispelled the myth that upgrading information systems cannot be measured by ROI.
Technology in the soil room: Mike Frankeberger of Automation Dynamics discussed technological innovations in the soil room. Frankeberger stressed the importance of enhancing systems in the soil room through better data collection and material handling. The benefits of such a change, Frankeberger noted, are increased productivity and accountability, which will improve customer satisfaction and therefore generate higher profits.
Developing an IT strategy: Ian Blackie, founder of Net Application Solutions (NAS) and a former CFO in the textile rental industry, gave attendees guidelines for developing an IT strategy for their company, a task the Technology Committee encourages all members to undertake. Blackie urged members to identify technologies that will give their companies a competitive advantage and improve efficiency. He also said an IT strategy cannot be created in a vacuum, stressing the importance of finding the right combination of in-house talent and outsourcing. Blackie also discussed software platforms as well as the increasing impact of Web services.
Automation through rail systems: E-Tech's Dwyane Martinson offered his audience a look at how overhead rail systems can improve productivity in the plant. By showing examples of systems in place, including Unitex's Mount Vernon, NY, healthcare plant, Martinson showed how continuous throughput can be achieved with these systems.
E-Commerce and the textile rental industry: For those attendees looking to supercharge their corporate Web sites, Jennifer Fisher of Blue Collar Commerce, showed how to gain a competitive advantage in cyberspace. Fisher stressed the importance of setting goals for the site and making it part of your company's marketing and branding efforts. Design tips were given, including making sure that the design is functional. In essence, a well-organized, user-friendly site with powerful content is a sure winner, Fisher said.
ROI on RFID: Herb Markman, owner of Positek RFID LP, showed how RFID technology can be used to save labor throughout the plant. He highlighted sorting systems that utilize radio chip technology, and reviewed innovative route make-up techniques currently in use at textile rental plants.
GPS solutions and route optimization: Saucon Technologies' Michael Deeb and Joseph Smits discussed how textile rental companies can benefit from route optimization software, which uses algorithms and customer data in order to best map out delivery routes. The presenters showed how successful route optimization can reduce labor by decreasing the number of routes, lowering fuel costs and minimizing the amount of time your fleet is on the road.
Educational sessions were not the only source of take-home value for members at the Tech Summit. Tours of three plants owned by Unitex Textile Rental Services put on display examples of innovative technology in the field.
Unitex's new Mount Vernon, NY, healthcare plant was the star attraction of the tours (see Textile Rental, December 2003, pg. 60). The plant pushes through more than 700,000 pounds of healthcare linens each week utilizing the latest in plant technology. Members saw automated sorting, overhead rail and automated material handling systems, plus tunnel washers and production management systems.
Attendees also visited two other Unitex plants. A uniform plant, located across the street from the new healthcare plant, showcased an efficient operation and innovations such as workstations that individually bag medical gowns. The third plant tour was of Unitex's Med-Apparel division's Perth Amboy, NJ, operation. The plant processes strictly patient apparel, using RFID chips heat sealed onto laundry bags to assign patient apparel to a particular room (see November 2002 Textile Rental, pg. 46).