18 FABRICARE COVER FOCUS process. If three pressers can finish 100 garments in three hours, “That’s great!” Desrosiers said. “The next hour, they do 10. Why? Because there were only 10 pieces to press. That crew could come in an hour later, and get the same amount of work done.” STREAMLINING SERVICE A new software company is also helping streamline workflows while it drives business. Starchup supplies client operators with a branded mobile app and websites that customers can use to place, track, and pay for drycleaning orders, while helping operators attract and engage customers and manage delivery service. “Internet technology provides unprecedented abilities for businesses to connect with customers and identify and use data to improve operations, and today’s customer expects a high level of communication and service,” said Starchup CEO Nick Chapleau. “Customers love the direct communication with their cleaner.” Cleaners manage orders and customer relationships using an online dashboard. The app provides customers with e-mail and text alerts about order status, and places a delivery manifest on drivers’ phones that optimizes their routes. “Direct communication with the customer via email and SMS increases efficiency,” Chapleau said. “Starchup users can send an automated notification to route customers the day before their pickup to remind them, and give them the opportunity to opt out. “We have seen operators implementing these notifications increase pickups dramatically beginning with the first week of use, and on average, reducing missed pickups by 20 to 40 percent per day,” Chapleau said. “In cost savings alone, Starchup delivers, on average, $600 per month savings in the form of fewer hours spent on the road, fewer miles driven, and less gas and maintenance.” TECH TRIAL-AND-ERROR There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to greater efficiency; what works in one plant may backfire in another. “The trend in Japan over the last decade has been to move away from automation in favor of more traditional tagging and assembly,” Desrosiers said, and a few stateside operators have followed suit (pun intended) by abandoning bar codes. Equipment solutions can often seem so promising that operators put the cart before the horse, Desrosiers said. One client bought a franchise location and wanted to install bar coding and automated assembly immediately. “He needed to learn the business and get more out of his employees,” he said. Another monitored the tire pressure in his vans to conserve fuel, but also employed 19 more staffers than necessary. “Some plants are so high-tech that cleaning is almost an afterthought,” Desrosiers said. “I like modernization—it’s cool; it’s slick. But labor savings are way better. Systems don’t run businesses; managers run businesses. Managing people and systems is a component of success. “Everybody wants that magic bullet,” he said. “Plant owners think that somewhere out there is a golden goose that will be the secret to profitability. It only exists in effective, quality, skilled management. Absent management, nothing happens.” Ian P. Murphy is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago. He served as the editor of American Drycleaner magazine from 1999-2011. continued from page 17