Say Goodbye to the Shortage of Skilled Workers and Hello to an Attractive Workplace

The shortage of skilled workers is one of the biggest challenges that business face today. The search for suitable employees can drag on with vacancies frequently remaining unfilled. When a company finally does find the right person , the risk of poaching from competition remains ever-present. This job seekers market can be costly for companies. Not only is searching for staff a time-consuming and expensive process, an understaffed team also has a long-term negative impact. Using state-of-the-art technology, JENSEN is helping laundry companies all across the globe combat the shortage of skilled workers.

Humans and machines working hand-in-hand

The common saying “Work smarter, not harder” serves as wise words for laundries combatting manpower challenges. When used in the right way, robots and similar machines make laundry operations safer, more efficient, and more self-contained – and laundries much more attractive places to work. When humans and machines work hand-in-hand in laundries, the staff enjoy the advantages of less physical strain, improved safety, and more fulfilling work. In fact, laundries that deploy intelligent automated systems benefit in four ways.

1. They become a more attractive place to work

Fewer repetitive tasks, improved safety, and a pleasant working environment: Intelligent automated systems make working in a laundry a more attractive prospect.

• Safe sorting: The THOR sorting robot quite literally enables laundries to leave the handling of dirty linen to machines, which protect staff from hazards caused by possible contamination or dangerous objects.
• Ergonomic separation of clothing: The Viking separator separates individual pieces from the larger batch in a super-fast, automatic process. It can handle even the heaviest batches without employees needing to strain themselves.
• Flexible loading: The MetriQ loading station features various innovations to offer the ideal combination of ergonomics and efficiency. Different functions such as the flexible feeding height and "buttons to the front" function ease the burden of day-to-day work. The quiet design is also easier on the ears and the in-built lighting reduces the strain on the eyes.
• Decentralized feed concept: The decentralized feeding concept of the Jenrail 2000 Automatic makes large-piece ironer lines safer. The relevant employees work from a distance, which prevents pit-related accidents and makes for a more pleasant working environment.
• Lower ambient temperature: New technologies and improved insulation result in less radiant heat waste. This not only improves the energy footprint, it also lowers the operating temperature by several degrees,  improving the working environment.

2. Streamlining

Here's a quick quiz question for you: In today’s most automated laundries, how many hands does an item of clothing pass through ? The answer: Just six hands from three people – firstly in the sorting area when the bags of laundry end up on the conveyor belt, secondly at the MetriQ loading station, and thirdly at the pack-out station. This is possible because all the interfaces are automated.

The BLIZZ robot feeds towels of different sizes into the JENSEN Butterfly terry folder without any human intervention whatsoever. GREIT, the modular stack storage system for flatwork, links the folder with the logistics area. The intelligent Jenway transport and sorting system then handles the last mile of the automated solution.

3. Greater independence

With Laundry 2.0, there is no need to fear an understaffed workforce due to vacation, illness, or a lack of job applicants. The laundry can practically run by itself, being largely autonomous. The company depends less on personnel for day-to-day operations, putting it on more stable footing. Despite the large amount of state-of-the-art technology, JENSEN's solutions have been designed so that they can be operated without any special expertise.

If, however, a problem does occur or the manager is unavailable, staff can obtain help quickly and efficiently from the Jenassist remote access service. Maintenance contracts ensure the machines are serviced at regular intervals, which is one less thing for managers to worry about and they can focus fully on their core duties.

To ensure operations can continue seamlessly in an emergency, the online shop for spare parts is available 24/7 in many countries. As a further highlight, JENSEN can also provide training sessions directly on site.

4. Digitalization

Find out the facts with sound data: The comprehensive Globe by Gotli Labs data management system brings together data relating to the entire system and evaluates it in real time. All key operational information is just a click away, meaning laundries can see immediately what is working well and where things could be improved.

Attract suitable skilled workers with technology

More attractive, efficient, autonomous, and digital – when a laundry embraces automation in all areas, the benefits are clear. Automation makes Laundry 2.0 an innovative workplace where talented staff actively help shape the future and add value. After all, one thing is clear: We're merely at the start of an extremely exciting development.