A well known hotel in Québec City experienced frustration over something we wouldn’t expect. The amount and turnover of towels, sheets, bathrobes, slippers and other washable items is astounding. The speed with which the operations are carried out is also very impressive, especially considering that external suppliers handle part of the laundry tasks. At times, it was sometimes impossible to keep track of what was lost, stolen, washed internally, washed externally, being moved or stored. This caused frustrating situations, such as missing items for guests, which the hotel wanted to avoid as much as possible.
In order to give the purchasing and operations department a better overall view of the material and its status, we fitted the items with waterproof tags, and the building and suppliers with several positioning hubs. It is now easier for the hotel to foresee shortages and manage operations, which also reduces the loss of time on unnecessary actions.