Can Dry Cleaning Be Automated?

Operating a dry cleaning business involves keeping track of customer data and pieces at the same time. Technological solutions can simplify day-to-day operations, reduce loss and increase productivity while empowering employees to provide good customer service.

Drop-Off or Pickup

A customer may drop off pieces at a dry cleaning location or arrange for pickup. Cleaning services have long arranged to pick up orders through calls, but it is now possible to give customers access to the best dry cleaning software in the form of a full-service, web-based application.

Mark-In

Pieces received at the counter or picked up from customers should be marked and customers should receive physical or digital confirmation and proof of claim. Some services offer the option of heat-seal garment barcodes for easy tracking during cleaning and for customer pickup or delivery.

Piece Information

Certain pieces call for specialized care. Keeping notes on how particular items should be handled could prevent damage. This information may originate from customer requests or employee observations about the condition of a garment. A piece manager system also makes it easier for owners to track employee efficiency through counts and other metrics. The most helpful systems retain information for better service on future occasions.

Dry Cleaning Delivery

Automation facilitates dry cleaning delivery in several ways. Route software helps supervisors and drivers plan the most efficient way to bring customers complete orders on time. Loading a vehicle for delivery is easier if other stages in the process are automated and garments have barcodes or other tracking identifiers. Technology also makes it easier to manage drivers and ensure that orders arrive according to schedule.

The owner of a dry cleaning business should factor in the ease of using existing systems and any causes of inefficiency or slow-downs. These points in the process may benefit most from implementing automated solutions.