subject: Smart Linen Bid To Cut Theft In Hotel Industry [print this page] Hilden, part of Vision Support Services, a UK supplier of hotel linen products and related services has announced a new solution to the hotel industry, providing laundries with the new ultra frequency RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to track stock. A first for the UK and Ireland hospitality sector, RFID helps hotels monitor and control linen demand and theft by allowing them to adjust and manage supplies accordingly.
Hilden have partnered with market leader TAGSYS, the most advanced Radio Frequency Identification company in the world. Working together to introduce the innovative technology, RFID has the ability to transform inventory management systems within the industry, enabling the hospitality sector to be at the forefront of technical, environmental and security advances.
Rod Nutter, Commercial Director at Hilden says, we are delighted to have secured the partnership with TAGSYS, they bring a wealth of experience from their 15 years of implementing RFID tracking systems at multiple sites, combined with their extensive research & development program we are confident together we can continue to innovate into the future
We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Hilden, UKs leading supplier of linen products and related services, said Bruno Davoine, Vice President Sales and Corporate Marketing at TAGSYS. Their deep knowledge in textile rental for the laundry and hotel industry and our comprehensive item-level inventory management system will offer new levels of linen visibility and management efficiency for their customers. Hilden is truly on the leading-edge of technology and, thanks to TAGSYS, they can provide RFID-ready Smart Linen that will bring a wide range of benefits to their customers.
For both laundries and hoteliers, keeping track of towels and linen moving between laundry and hotel is time consuming and costly. It is estimated that between 15 20% of stock is lost through mismanagement, stock hoarding and guests liberating bathrobes and towels from their hotel rooms. In addition to pinpointing where losses and abuse occur, RFID facilitates a better quality of linen to be implemented, ultimately improving overall effectiveness. The technology gives full control of the rotation of stock removing all need for manual counting and creates a platform that enables hoteliers to view stock on a real time basis. Providing a unique opportunity to record the loss, use and age of each product, RFID assists with product quality and control ultimately enhancing guest experience and hotel reputation.
Each tag is discretely inserted into the product with a unique ID number, making it possible to monitor the number of washes and provide an accurate audit trail. RFID is also found in many items such as passports, Oyster cards, anti-theft tags and animal micro chipping. Due to progress in technology RFID is now available in UHF (Ultra High Frequency) allowing multiple readings to be counted from a distance of 3 metres in a matter of seconds.
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) works by identifying and tracking objects using a radio frequency transmission. The dominant frequencies for item-level tagging such as laundry are 13.56 MHz (High Frequency) and 800-900MHz (UHF). The RFID tag is made of an IC chip attached to a tiny radio antenna, containing a serial number and other data related to the item it is affixed or embedded into. In proximity to an RFID-enabled scanner the tag information is read automatically and managed into a user database.
Throughout history Hilden has been at the forefront of innovation and can trace its roots back to the 18th century having been established by descendants of James Hargreaves, the inventor of the Spinning Jenny in 1764, a key advancement in the industrial revolution.
Rod Nutter, commented; from the day I joined Hilden you could feel the heritage within, with staff enthused to be part of a company offering a great service and quality products. Once again we are all proud to be at the forefront of technology with the introduction of RFID and our smart linen range capabilities
