DECEMBER 2020
Clean Show postponed to summer 2022 ATLANTA — The 2021 edition of The Clean Show has been postponed due to the continued global impacts of COVID-19, according to Messe Frankfurt. The next edition is now scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2, 2022, in Atlanta. After months of strategic conversations with Messe Frankfurt’s global leadership, partner associations and representatives from the show’s key exhibiting groups, the team has decided that pushing the show and its subsequent edition is in the best interest of the industry as a whole. Organizers say the move has been met with a positive response from exhibitors. The decision will affect at least the next two editions, with Clean 2023 also being moved to take place in August 2024. “Although this has been a tough decision to make, we are confident that moving The Clean Show will allow us to provide the quality experience and return on investment our exhibitors and visitors have come to expect from Clean,” says Greg Jira, show director. ALN
Artificial intelligence: Future of laundry operations? How far will technology that replaces human thought, action go in laundries? BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHIC GO — rtificial intelligence. Most people have heard the phrase, but what does it mean, exactly? David Netusil, manager-sales support and marketing for laundry e uipment manufacturer ENSEN S , says, “ e simply define I as the ability to perform typical human intelligence tasks such as visual perception and decision-making.’” “On a systems level, I is the decisionmaking process of automated devices based a series of inputs or sensors to achieve a successful or desired output,” adds Ed Kire c yk, president of laundry e uipment manufacturer Sea-lion merica Company. hat about artificial intelligence in a laundry operation? Bill Brooks, director of customer solutions and business development for laundry e uipment manufacturer lliance Laundry Systems, which focuses on on-premises laundry OPL machinery, says I is defined as technology used to learn, plan and problem-solve a productive laundry operation.
“ n on-premises laundry OPL is not a great setting for expensive robotics, but it is a very good example of how analytic data can provide great operational savings,” he points out. “In the laundry, I could be a shuttle of a tunnel washer system making the decision of what dryer to choose to transfer its load,” Kire c yk adds. “On a machine or device level, I is the intelligent learning of processes through a collection of data compiled by the running of algorithms. In the laundry, this could be a machine collecting data on its own operations to improve its performance.” “ rtificial intelligence is a broad term but in general it is referring to automating tasks that would normally re uire human intelligence to accomplish,” says Carol yler, director of marketing for Chicago Dryer Co., a provider of separating, feeding, ironing and folding flatwork finishing e uipment. “ obotics, for instance, to accomplish these tasks will be one of the technologies laundries will be considering in the future.”
(Image licensed by Ingram Image)
AI VS. AUTOMATION he difference between automation and I can be subtle or vast, yler says. utomation indicates the replacement of human tasks via automated e uipment. I See AI on Page
Running laundry routes effectively, profitably, safely Two laundry service route experts offer their insights into route technology, rep training BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHIC GO — Bob Doran, routing specialist for lsco, a linen and uniform rental service head uartered in Salt Lake City, says the most important part of running laundry linen service delivery routes is providing customers with the best products and service re uested safely and efficiently. “Of course making complete deliveries with uality products as promised will always be extremely important, but we also expect our customer sales representatives to maintain the highest level of communications with all of their customers,” adds eff Nelson a director of operations at Prudential Overall Supply, a provider Laundry route technology can improve delivery plans, efficiency, costs and much more for an operation. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)
Volume 46, Number 12
INSIDE Your Views Recent survey shows laundry companies hopeful despite 2020 challenges.
www.americanlaundrynews.com
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Panel of Experts In this issue, the Experts write about creating laundry/linen services success in 2021.
See ROUTE on Page 8 The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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[12] PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Late News
Detergents, Chemicals and Injector Systems