By: Ken Tyler, Sr. Laundry Industry Consultant
When you need to replace your laundry systems, it’s time to get – back to the basics. Whether you are mixing and matching components and manufacturers, this is what you should know when replacing a piece of equipment or systems in your facility.
Know your needs. Determine what you need in your facility by developing performance expectations. Are you looking to increase performance or just replace a piece of equipment? Understand what is necessary to optimally process the items your facility processes. Have a plan on what your end goal is for your redesign or production increase.
How many sheets / towels do you process, what would you like to process? What is the poundage of the goods, the dimensions? Know the makeup of the goods – cotton or polyester? That’s where drying time comes into play – different materials take different amounts of time to dry.
Will the processed goods fit in a cart or should you be using a sling? What will it look like in the facility? Will a sling fit in the facility? How many folder / feeders will you need.
It is your responsibility to know this information and communicate it to the equipment manufacturer. Be clear about your expectations.
Knowledge in numbers. Have an open mind and learn from those around you. No one know everything. This is why a team approach is essential. Keep all levels of management informed about your goals and expectations. Inform top management of what you’re doing and educate them on the process. How do they respond? Be sure you can answer any questions.
Don’t leave a key element of your operation out of the planning process. In healthcare operations, nursing is involved on a daily basis changing linen etc. They should be involved in the process. Their understanding of infection control is critical. Get input from laundry managers, operators, maintenance employees and engineering teams.
Your biggest mistake? Leaving out employee input. Employees are hands-on in the facility and operate the equipment daily. They are the best source of information on the flow of the operation. Bottom line? Welcome all ideas during the planning process.
Don’t assume. Don’t assume that a washer is a washer and a dryer is a dryer. An equipment specialist may come and assure you that, yes, we can do this. But management needs to fully understand what is needed and how it will integrate into a facility. The equipment specialist will leave. Management will be responsible if the installation doesn’t meet the needs of the laundry.
Next week, in Part 2 of Back to the Basics we’ll explore additional considerations when purchasing new equipment or replacing systems in your facility. Those considerations include sizing up your facility, interior design, safety, structural support and the importance of not being penny wise and pound foolish.
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About the Author: Ken Tyler has been active in laundry and textile programs for over 53 years. Between his position as Chief of the VA Laundry program and the Chief of Laundry Operations at the DOD he managed the modernization, and construction of over 100 healthcare laundry operations valued in excess of 200 million dollars. Tyler received the GSA Excellence award, Department of Energy awards for energy conservation and the Presidential Award for Performance. He was selected in the VA Leadership program and continues as a member of that Alumni program. Tyler cites his favorite accomplishment as conducting the ALM sponsored Certified Laundry Management Course (CLLM) with TP Chan to over 40 students in Hong Kong from throughout Asia. He continues to communicate with his students.
Tyler managed US Marine Corps and Department of the Navy laundry programs for 10 years, Department of Veterans Affairs textile care and laundry programs for 27 years and managed government programs for Encompass LLC for 16 years. He retired from the US Marine Corps after 30 years of service and received over 30 decorations for his military service. He is also the recipient of numerous industry and government awards and has served numerous organizations such as AHA, TRSA, JCAHO, ALM and ARTA. Tyler is a Senior Laundry Industry consultant.
