How does a multi-client hospital laundry service keep track of all items coming in and out to make sure they get back to the right facility and efficiently? Technology has become increasingly sophisticated in the last two decades. Tracking systems are particularly crucial when it comes to one-off items like lab coats or custom uniforms, as a medical laundry service might.
There are two main types of systems: radio frequency identification (RFID) and barcode. RFID is the technology used in microchips that are inserted into pets so they can be identified and returned home if lost. Since RFID is the most modern and efficient, we will focus most of our attention on how it works in clothing tracking.
RFID systems
In an RFID system, a tag or chip is attached to each towel, sheet, garment, or other item. In some cases, they are installed by the manufacturer. In others, items are labeled by the laundry. The tags/chips are available with low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), or ultra high frequency (UHF) radio bands. The tags have a strong, yet small, thin plastic casing that does not interfere with the use of an item, but can withstand harsh commercial washing processes that use very hot water and chemicals for up to hundreds of washes.
How RFID Tracking Works
The antennas attached to the readers are placed where items pass through or are stored at key points during their time in the laundry. This includes doorways, dirty clothes bins, clean clothes hampers, and uniform racks. Entire containers of bedding can be scanned at once. The reader is linked to a software system that collects and manages the data. The system also enables a laundromat to inventory their hotel, restaurant, and hospital linens quickly and accurately, with little labor required.
Barcode Labeling
Bar coding is an older and simpler technology than RFID. It is generally less expensive, but not as efficient for tracking large amounts of inventory. A barcode labeling system, which is essentially what’s used in stores to display the price and other information about the items we buy, records information about each item, such as when it was issued, how many times it was processed, and when it was shipped. last delivered.
RFID versus barcode
- Barcode labeling generally requires the tagged item to be within the line of sight of the reader and therefore requires an employee to be there to operate the reader. Most RFID readers remain in a fixed location and items can be read even if they are not directly in front of them. The employees do not operate the readers.
- Barcodes can read only one item at a time, while RFID systems can read multiple labels simultaneously.
- RFID tags can be read at much greater distances (up to more than a hundred yards) compared to five yards for a barcode.
- RFID readers can read much faster: several hundred or more tags per second.
- A barcode is read-only, while most RFID tags are both read and write, meaning new information can be written on top of existing information. It’s kind of like the difference between readable/recordable and readable CDs.
- RFID tags can identify each tagged item individually, while most barcodes can only identify the type of item.
Some large laundry companies, such as those that handle medical bedding for various hospitals, put RFID tags and barcode labels on each of their items. The barcode is there as a backup in case the RFID system cannot read an item. However, RFID tags are almost 100% accurate.
How Tracking Improves Laundry Services
Tracking systems improve efficiency and reduce the time and effort involved in processing, shipping, and receiving at a laundry facility. They allow business owners to track every item in their inventory from purchase to disposal. They provide accurate inventory, so laundry companies never run out of linens, table linens, or whatever items they handle. More advanced tracking systems can even generate billing reports when items are shipped to customers.
As Steve Kallenbach, former American Laundry News panelist, points out, “If you don’t have good reconciliation processes, any of these systems will only let you know what’s missing.” However, tracking systems can go a long way in helping medical laundry services and other laundry businesses operate more efficiently.