| | February 20168CIOReviewProfound changes by Internet of Things in Textile IndustryThe Internet of Things will bring profound changes to the textile Industry in the coming years. The most immediate impact will likely be in the laundry plants and trucks. In the plants, we can expect sensors in the washers, dryers, and other equipment, providing real-time feedback via onsite software regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of each. We anticipate that we will be able to detect imminent equipment failure before it occurs, allowing us to minimize downtime. Beyond that, we expect to be able to monitor the actual usage of the equipment and gain a better understanding of the proper soap formulas needed. For instance, wash times may soon have the ability to be dynamically adjusted during cycles because the sensors will be able to detect soil levels, so loads with less heavily soiled textiles will run for a shorter period of time than those that are more heavily soiled. Delivery trucks today already have telematics and other IoT-like technologies that provide input regarding gaining better gas mileage and certain maintenance issues that should be addressed. But soon, the trucks will interact with the buildings. As a known truck approaches the delivery door, the lock will "recognize" the truck and unlock.But this is just the beginning. As chips with sensors are put in clothing, tremendous amounts of information can be collected. Today, clothes with chips can be automatically counted and sorted. But in the future, garments will tell us how long they were in use, what chemicals they were exposed to, and if they sensed any stresses Chips in floor mats could "call home" to let the laundry facility know that they are more heavily soiled than expected, or perhaps that a substance was spilled on them and they need to be replaced immediately.Cloud Computing for the Textile IndustryCloud computing is really just another step in the evolution of determining what a company should manage itself versus having someone else manage it. Many years ago, there were service bureaus, then ASPs, then hosting facilities, and now the cloud. The biggest difference today is the ease of deployment and relative low cost of cloud solutions. UniFirst has not shied away from the cloud, but we do not have a cloud-only approach either. We Minimizing Downtime Via Internet of Things in Textile IndustryBy Brad Whitehall, VP-IT & CIO, UniFirst CorporationIN MY OPINION
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