“There’s an app for that,” “big data,” “predictive analytics,” and “artificial intelligence.” These are all phrases that have us at HBD thinking hard about the future of the industries we serve, and we are always working to help our customers evolve and adapt.
In the last year, HBD has had the privilege to partner with hospitals and industrial laundries that are using RFID technology to become more efficient, data-driven businesses. In working with them to implement RFID we have learned about the benefits they see in adapting the technology.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Replacing manual counting, sorting and packaging with computerized inventory management has many benefits. RFID systems will confirm the exact number of linens in a bundle/bag, tell you how many of a given item are on hand, or where they are in the operations cycle. Having this information will save time, reduce errors, and make you a better service provider.
BETTER UNDERSTAND USAGE
RFID tags will make you a data driven business. Knowing exactly how linens or uniforms move through your system will help you hone your operations. How many washes can a specific item take? How many uses per week? Are there variations in throughput rate? How often are repairs happening and how long do they take? Digging into this data will improve purchasing decisions, allow you to better understand your customers, and identify inefficiencies in your business.
REDUCE SHRINKAGE
Want to know where and when items are going missing? RFID adds accountability and has been shown to reduce shrinkage. If an item does go missing, you should know who is responsible. In turn, you can reduce the cost of replacement by billing the appropriate party/individual.
When customers face challenges or seek new solutions, our production team likes to joke, “There’s a bag for that.” While we are not the Apple app store, we are dedicated to solving unique problems for our customers.