DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR MANAGING CHEMICAL PRODUCT USAGE
Technical Field
The invention relates generally to storage and processing of data related to
chemical product usage, and more particularly, to collecting, communicating, and
analyzing chemical product usage data based on distribution of the product by a
product dispenser.
Background of the Invention
Institutional laundry facilities, such as those employed in many large hotels,
nursing homes, and hospitals, typically employ washing machines with separate
automated detergent dispensers. Generally, these institutional washing machines are
larger and wash greater volumes of laundry over time than standard consumer
washing machines used in homes. Typically, a separate, automated cleaning product
dispenser is connected to one or two industrial washing machines to automatically
deliver cleaning products, such as detergent, bleach, rinse agent, etc., according to
logic designed or programmed into the dispenser.
In a broader sense, automated chemical product ("chemistry") dispensers are
useful in many different chemical application systems, including cleaning systems
relating to laundry operations, warewashing operations (e.g., a dishwasher), water
treatment operations, and pool and spa maintenance, as well as other systems, such
as food and beverage operations and agricultural operations. For example, chemical products used in a warewashing operation may include detergent, de-ionized water,
sanitizers, stain removers, etc. Chemistry used in agriculture may include without
limitation pesticides, herbicides, hydration agents, and fertilizers. Other applications
of the present invention may be used in, without limitation, dairies and dairy farms,
(e.g., in teat dips); breweries; packing plants; pools spas, and other recreational water
facilities; water treatment facilities, and cruise lines. Other chemical products may
include without limitation glass cleaning chemicals, hard surface cleaners,
antimicrobials, germicides, lubricants, water treatment chemicals, rust inhibitors,
Automated chemical product dispensers can reduce labor and chemistry costs
by automatically delivering predetermined amounts of chemicals in a proper
sequence. Furthermore, some chemical products can be hazardous in concentrated
form; therefore, automated chemical product dispensers reduce the risks of exposure
to operators, who would otherwise measure and deliver the chemical products manually.
In a laundry operation, to coordinate the proper delivery of cleaning product
for each washing machine cycle, both the washing machine and the dispenser are
preferably programmed to run a given "formula" for a particular type of item being
washed. For example, if the laundry operator is washing bed sheets, he or she
selects a washing machine selection corresponding to a set of cycles (i.e., a formula)
for "sheets" and selects a separate dispenser setting corresponding to a "sheets"
formula of chemical products (e.g., including possibly detergent, bleach, sanitizer,
and rinse agent). Therefore, the dispenser supplies the proper cleaning product (or
provides no cleaning product) for appropriate washer cycles, in accordance with the
selected formulas. In this manner, for example, detergent is supplied to the washing
machine during the wash cycle and not during the rinse cycle.
Unfortunately, operator error (i.e., improper formula selections on one or
both of the washing machine and the dispenser) can result in the cleaning products
being supplied to the washing machine during the wrong cycle or not at all. Such
errors can result in improperly washed or potentially damaged laundry items. Other
costly inefficiencies can include washing items without filling the wash basin to
capacity, which wastes water, energy, and cleaning product and increases labor and
maintenance costs.
In addition, individual institutional laundry accounts tend to be
geographically dispersed, requiring many individual field service managers to
physically visit individual laundry operations or accounts periodically, to monitor
product usage on a periodic basis at those operations, and to provide the corrective
instructions to the corresponding laundry operators. Typically, this manual method
fails to provide the rapid feedback or the cross-account analysis that can be helpful
to laundry operators in managing their operations.
Accordingly, it is desirable to maintain and analyze automatically a real-time
or historical log of operational data detectable or storable by a dispenser or a
dispenser-related device, preferably in relation to corporate information, such as
work shifts, facility location, hotel occupancy rates, energy costs, etc., so as to
facilitate rapid corrective action. Existing approaches, however, fail to provide the
capability or capacity of automatically detecting large amounts of dispenser data,
communicating and recording dispenser data and corporate data to a central
database, and analyzing the data to provide feedback to the laundry operation and/or
the dispenser, particularly across an aggregation of multiple accounts within the same corporation.
Summary of the Invention
A communications network coupling one or more chemical dispenser sites to
a server computer and a database is useful to a corporation in managing its chemical
product usage, as well as other costs. For example, a given hotel corporation
operates multiple hotels throughout the nation. Each hotel, preferably corresponding
to an account, includes one or more laundry operations (e.g., a dispenser site having
a dispenser and one or more washing machines). The dispenser or detergent vendor
operates a server computer and database to which dispenser data for one or more
laundry operations within the corporation are stored. Exemplary dispenser data
includes without limitation one or more of the following data types: dispensed
detergent amounts; dispensing times, dates, and sequences; water temperature; water
flow volumes; chemical product type; machine identifiers; washing machine signals;
empty capsule indications; start/end of formula indications, formulas, and other
information originating at the detector site, whether detected by a dispenser or by an
associated device (such as a remote temperature probe). Corporate data relating to
the laundry operation, such as account information, alignment information, utility costs, employee shift information, labor costs, and additional information relating to
other aspects of the corporation or laundry operation, can be also be stored and
analyzed alone or in combination with dispenser information.
By collecting and analyzing the dispenser and corporate data in the database,
a dispenser vendor can analyze this data to generate performance information (such
as product usage data) and provide feedback to the customer. For example, a
calculation of the number of pounds of laundry washed per occupied room
("LbsOCR)" can be made from a combination of dispenser data (e.g., the number of
loads, which corresponds to the number of completed formulas) and corporate data
(e.g., the number of occupied rooms). Furthermore, a target can be set (statically or
dynamically) for the LbsOCR result, so that LbsOCR results that are above the
target are flagged as "out-of-spec." "Out-of-spec" results, which may indicate
inflated detergent, labor, and utility expenses, for example, can be fed back to the
customer to allow the customer to improve its laundry procedures.
Furthermore, the analysis may be performed across multiple accounts, such
as multiple accounts within a single corporation or organizational region, to
compare, for example, one account in a corporation with others accounts with the same corporation. An alignment identifier is used to relationally group multiple
accounts. In this manner, for example, the LbsOCR of one account in a corporation
can be compared against the LbsOCR of other accounts in the corporation to
determine its relative performance. The customer can then use this information to
improve the laundry procedures at poorer performing accounts.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are
solved by providing a monitor at a chemical product dispenser to automatically
detect and communicate dispenser data. Real-time or historical dispenser data is
communicated to be stored in a central database in combination with an account
identifier, an alignment identifier, and other corporate data to facilitate analysis
within and across accounts associated with a laundry operator. Furthermore, all data
associated with a particular alignment identifier (e.g., a corporate identifier, a
regional identifier, etc.) may be consolidated for analysis, providing, for example, a
corporate customer with a broad view of problem trends and overall corporate
performance of laundry operations in its multiple accounts . Furthermore,
performance targets, including dynamic performance targets, may be employed to
detect performance data that does not satisfy acceptable criteria.
A data processing system for managing use of chemical product in a
chemical application system is provided. A chemical product dispenser distributes
the chemical product to the chemical application system. A monitor module detects
dispenser data based on distribution of the chemical product by the chemical product
dispenser or some other detection mechanism associated with the dispenser or
dispenser site. A database is coupled to the chemical product dispenser and stores
the account identifier in association with the dispenser data of the chemical product
dispenser. The database further stores corporate data in associating with the
dispenser data and the account identifier. An analysis application analyzes the
dispenser data in relation with the corporate data to characterize use of the chemical
product in the chemical application system.
A method and computer program product for managing use of chemical
product in a chemical application system corresponding to a first customer account
identified by an account identifier are provided. The chemical product is distributed
to the chemical application system via a first chemical product dispenser. The first
dispenser data is recorded based on distribution of the chemical product by the
chemical product dispenser. The account identifier is recorded in association with
the dispenser data of the first chemical product dispenser. Second dispenser data is
monitored from a second chemical product dispenser corresponding to a second
customer account. The first dispenser data of the first chemical product dispenser is
analyzed relative to the second dispenser data of the second chemical product
dispenser to characterize the use of the chemical product in the chemical application
system.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 depicts a general purpose computer that implements the logical operations of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary communications network including
detergent dispensers coupled to a server computer in an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary topology of dispensers, accounts, and
alignments relative to a server computer in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary database schema in an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 4A illustrates a second portion of an exemplary database schema in an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4B illustrates a third portion of an exemplary database schema in an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary corporate summary report for a fictional
laundry operator in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary unit summary report for a fictional laundry
operator in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG 7 illustrates exemplary shift productivity and cost reports for a fictional
laundry operator in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary general productivity and cost basis reports for a fictional laundry operator in an embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
In the following description of the exemplary embodiment, reference is made
to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way
of illustration the specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is
to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized as structural changes may
be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 depicts a general purpose computer capable of executing a program
product embodiment of the present invention. One operating environment in which
the present invention is potentially useful encompasses the general purpose
computer. In such a system, data and program files may be input to the computer,
which reads the files and executes the programs therein. Some of the elements of a
general purpose computer are shown in FIG. 1 wherein a processor 101 is shown
having an input/output (I/O) section 102, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 103, and
a memory section 104. The present invention is optionally implemented in software
devices loaded in memory 104 and/or stored on a configured CD-ROM 108 or
storage unit 109 thereby transforming the computer system in FIG. 1 to a special
purpose machine for implementing the present invention.
The I/O section 102 is connected to keyboard 105, display unit 106, disk
storage unit 109, and disk drive unit 107. Generally, in contemporary systems, the
disk drive unit 107 is a CD-ROM driver unit capable of reading the CD-ROM
medium 108, which typically contains programs 110 and data. Computer program
products containing mechanisms to effectuate the systems and methods in
accordance with the present invention may reside in the memory section 104, on a
disk storage unit 109, or on the CD-ROM medium 108 of such a system.
Alternatively, disk drive unit 107 may be replaced or supplemented by a floppy drive
unit, a tape drive unit, or other storage medium drive unit. The network adapter 111
is capable of connecting the computer system to a network via the network link 112.
Examples of such systems include SPARC systems offered by Sun Microsystems,
Inc., personal computers offered by IBM Corporation and by other manufacturers of
IBM-compatible personal computers, and other systems running a UNIX-based or other operating system. In accordance with the present invention, software
instructions such as those directed toward communicating data between a client and
a server; detecting product usage data, analyzing data, and generating reports may be
executed by CPU 103, and data such products usage data, corporate data, and
supplemental data generated from product usage data or input from other sources
may be stored in memory section 104, or on disk storage unit 109, disk drive
unit 107 or other storage medium units coupled to the system.
FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary communications network including
detergent dispensers 208 and 209 coupled to a server computer 226 in an
embodiment of the present invention. An installation 200 includes washing
machines 206 and 207, a detergent dispenser 208, a control/monitor module 210,
and a communication device 212 located at a laundry operation associated with a
customer account identifier. An installation 202 illustrates a second laundry
operation in accordance with the present invention.
Generally, FIG. 2A is intended to represent one or more laundry operations
coupled to the network 204. In an alternative embodiment, an installation may
include multiple dispensers coupled to one or more washing machines each.
Furthermore, although FIG. 2A shows individual control monitors in communication
devices for each dispenser, in other embodiments, multiple dispensers may be
coupled to a single control/monitor module, and a single communications device
may be used to communicate data to and from multiple dispensers. It should also be understood that 1 or more dispensers may be associated with a single account, and
one or more accounts may be associated with a single alignment ID (e.g.,
corporation).
The detergent dispenser 208 is coupled via hose 234 to the washing machine
206 and via hose 235 to washing machine 207. Washing machine 202, for example,
is coupled to the dispenser 208 via a communications link 224. It should be
understood that a dispenser can accommodate many different types of washing
machines. Some installations, for example, include modern dispensers coupled to
older washing machines via an analog interface.
Other detecting devices may be integrated with or used in association with
the dispenser at the dispenser site within the scope of the present invention. For
example, a flow meter for detecting water flow volume through input hose 234 may
be used to generate detected dispenser data for storage in the database. Other
examples may include a remote or integrated water temperature detector, a detector
for determining the actual weight of laundry items in a wash basin, and other
detection operations to provide detected dispenser data at the dispenser site.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser 208 supplies
detergent and other cleaning products to the washing machine 206. Preferably, the
detergent dispenser 208 receives containers of solid cleaning products into
receptacles 214, 216 and 218. In an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, four receptacles are provided by a dispenser. Accordingly, a dispenser
having one or more receptacles for receiving liquid or solid chemical products is
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
An input hose 220 receives hot water from the facility's hot water system
(not shown). Preferably, the water temperature is 120° F or greater. The hot water
mixes with the solid cleaning product mounted in the detergent dispenser 208 by
flowing through the solid cleaning product until a required amount of the cleaning
product is mixed with or dissolved into the hot water. The amount of cleaning
product is measured directly using a technique detailed in U.S. Patent Application
No. 4,845,965, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SOLUTIONS"; U.S. Patent Application No. 4,858,449, entitled "CHEMICAL
SOLUTION DISPENSER APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING"; and U.S.
Patent Application No. 4,964,185, entitled "CHEMICAL SOLUTION DISPENSER
APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING", all assigned to the assignee of the
present invention.
After a specified amount of cleaning product is supplied to the washing
machine 206 (i.e., an example of a chemical application system), the dispenser 208
cuts off the cleaning product supply to the washing machine 206. The washing
machine 206 receives the water and cleaning product mixture via hose 234, which
continues its cycle with the supplied cleaning product in its basin. The dispenser is
then flushed with fresh water from intake hose 220. The fresh water flows from the
dispenser 208 through the hose 234 into the washing machine 206. The water and
chemistry in the wash basin is applied to the laundry items during the washing
machine cycle. After the cycle completes, the wastewater and chemistry are dumped
from the basin into the facility's sewage line via hose 222.
Thereafter, the next washer cycle is signaled to the dispenser 208 from the
washing machine 206 via link 224, which preferably consists of thirteen wires,
although other communications links are contemplated within the scope of the
present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signal
informs the dispenser 208 to transition to the next state in the cleaning product
formula. In an embodiment having a washing machine providing analog cycle
signals, the analog signals are preferably converted to digital signals before
transmission to the dispenser.
Although a washing machine is an example of a chemical application system,
other chemical application systems are contemplated within the scope of the present
invention. Other examples include, without limitation, chemical dispensers used in
dishwashers; chemical application systems for "clean in place" systems; water
sanitizing systems such as, but not limited to, bath and spa systems; and herbicide
dispensers in agricultural settings.
In an embodiment of the present invention shown in installation 200, the
control/monitor module 210 is a processor driven control and monitoring circuit that
preferably (1) controls the dispensing of cleaning product in accordance with
selections made by a laundry operator, and/or (2) detects the amount and sequence of
dispensed cleaning product, the signals received from the washing machine over
communications link 224, the temperature of hot water flowing through the
dispenser 208, and other parameters including time, date, and duration of each
wash/dispense cycle. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the
operation of the control/monitor module 210 maybe limited to detecting data for
communication to the database. Preferably, the control/monitor module 210 also
includes a storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory device or a magnetic
or optical storage device, for temporarily storing the dispenser data locally and for
storing dispenser system data, such as formulas, dispenser numbers, account
numbers, etc. However, the storage medium may be omitted in an alternative
embodiment, particularly if generally continuous communication of dispenser data is
made to a remote database or storage medium.
The communications device 212 is coupled to the control/monitor module
210 (1) to receive commands from the communications network 204 and (2) to
access data detected and stored by the control/monitor module 210, including
historical detected data and dispenser system data stored on the local storage
medium. The communications device 212 may be programmed to access the
communications network 204, preferably by a LAN (local area network), WAN
(wide area network), a dial-up connection, or another well-known network
connection. In an embodiment of the present invention, the communications device 212
periodically accesses a server computer 226 to provide data for storage in the
database 228. As such, the communications device 212 preferably accesses real¬
time data detected by the control/monitor module 210 and any historical data stored
on a local storage medium for transfer to the database 228. In an alternative
embodiment, the communications device 212 maintains communications with the server computer 226 over the communications network 204 continually; therefore,
the local storage medium is unnecessary for storing detected data. Instead, the
communications device 212 continually transmits real-time product usage data to the
server computer 226. In this embodiment, a small cache device may nevertheless be
employed to accommodate network congestion or other communication delays at the
communications device 212.
The communications device 212 can also receive commands via the
communications network 204 to provide a feedback loop to the laundry operation or
the dispenser. These commands are transferred to the control/monitor module 210.
Such commands may include formula updates, calibration commands, test
commands, alarm commands, interactive communications between the laundry
operator or service technician and the dispenser vendor or server computer facility,
and other remote control commands. This capability facilitates the management of
multiple, geographically dispersed laundry operations by allowing the operator, the
service technician, or the dispenser vendor to distribute control commands from a
central location via the communications network 204. An example of the use of the
feedback loop involves updating a formula stored in the storage medium of a
dispenser.
The client computer 230 represents a thick or thin client coupled to the server
computer 226 via a communications link 234, such as a LAN. The client 230
initiates an analysis application resident on the client computer 230 or resident on
the server computer 226 to generate reports, such as report 232 providing analysis of
dispenser data and corporate data recorded in the database 228, and may also include
other product usage data derived from a combination of the dispenser data and the
corporate data. Broadly, "product usage data" refers to data relating to product
usage or use of a chemical application system, which may include without limitation
chemical application system usage information, labor usage information, utility
usage information, procedural error information, and performance information.
Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the client computer 230
initiates commands through the communications network 204 to the communication
devices of installation 200 and 202 for remotely managing the laundry operation
(e.g., changing formulas).
A server computer 250 is optionally coupled to the server computer 226 to
provide corporate data to the database 228. Corporate data may relate to one or
more accounts in association with an alignment ID and may include without
limitation labor, energy, water, detergent, and sewage costs, shift personnel
identifiers, and the number of occupied rooms for given time periods. By
communicating the corporate data automatically from the laundry operator's
corporate or account business systems, manual entry of corporate data can be
avoided. However, in an embodiment of the present invention, manual entry is
contemplated, for example, using the client computer 230. Furthermore, the server
computer 250 may be linked to other networks via a communications link 252.
FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary hub and spoke topology of dispensers,
accounts, and alignments relative to a server computer 250 in an embodiment of the
present invention. Other topologies, such as a daisy chain topology or a ring
topology, are also contemplated within the scope of the present invention. The
server computer 250 is coupled to multiple accounts (such as a hotel account 276 or
hospital account 254). Within each account are one or more dispensers (such as
dispenser 290). Each account may include an alignment identifier to associate it
with other accounts, as indicated by groupings (or "alignment groupings") 258, 260,
262, 264, and 266. The grouping relationships may be hierarchical (see groupings
258 and 260), or the grouping relationships may cut across hierarchical boundaries
(see grouping 262). Note also that accounts 268 and 270 are not included in a grouping, preferably meaning that no alignment identifier is specified for these two
accounts.
For example, grouping 260 indicates an alignment within a healthcare and
lodging corporation. Accounts 256, 272, 274, 276, 278, 280 and 282 are accounts
within the healthcare and lodging corporation. Furthermore, grouping 264 indicates
a grouping of hospital accounts within the healthcare and lodging corporation, and a
grouping 258 indicates an organizational alignment of hotels, such as a regional
alignment (e.g., hotels in the Eastern United States), within the healthcare and
lodging corporation. A grouping 266 indicates an alignment within a hospital
corporation and includes accounts 254, 286, and 288. The grouping 262 is
associated with hospital accounts in general and cuts across boundaries of the two
corporate alignments. The grouping 262 is useful for analyzing product usage data
across a given industry, for example.
FIG. 3 illustrates a first portion of an exemplary database schema in an
embodiment of the present invention. Each large box represents a data table used in
the exemplary database 228 shown in FIG. 2A. The name of each data table is label
at the top of each box (e.g., "tblAcct"). "Table" generally refers to data arranged in
rows and columns. In relational database management systems, information is
primarily stored in the form of tables, with columns representing individual data
fields in the table and rows representing individual entries in the table. In FIG. 3,
the data fields (i.e., columns) of each table are listed below the label of the table.
A tblAlign table 300 contains information about a group of accounts. In a
preferred embodiment, each row of the tblAlign table 300 corresponds to a given
customer that manages one or more laundry accounts. The data field AlignID is a
unique key for each row of the tblAlign table 300. The data field AlignTD is an
example of an alignment identifier useful for analysis of database information for a
given corporation or other organizational category. It should be understood that, in
an alternative embodiment, multiple levels of alignment ID may be used within the
scope of the present invention. For example, a first alignment ID may correspond to
a corporate customer level, and a second alignment ID level may correspond to
regional divisions within the overall corporation. The data field AlignName
contains a textual descriptor or label of the business entity corresponding to the
tblAlign table entry.
The data field AlignFdata and AlignLdata, exemplary time period specifiers,
indicate the first and last dates of a time period for which valid data exists in relation
to a given AlignTD. In this manner, the analysis application need not search all
available data in the database to determine whether a requested time period contains
valid data for a particular alignment ID. The label "1", positioned relative to the
data field AlignTD in the tblAlign table 300, and the infinity symbol (:), positioned
relative to the data field AlignTD in the tblAcct table 302, indicate a one-to-many
relationship between the tblAlign table 300 and the tblAcct table 302.
A tblAcct table 302 contains information about a given account (e.g., the laundry operations at a particular facility corresponding to a given AlignTD). The
data field AcctTD is a unique key for a given account within the database. The data
field AssocTD includes a unique identifier representing a key to a tblAssoc table 318.
The tblAcct table 302 also contains a data field Is Active, which specifies whether the
associated account is currently under contract, currently operational, or some other
active status. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the data field
IsActive is a yes/no parameter, meaning that the row is the active row for a particular
account, or it is not. The tblAcct table 302 also contains a data field DateMod which
includes the creation date for the tblAcct table 302. A data field Acct# includes an
account number assigned to the given account. Preferably, the account number is specified by the detergent vendor, dispenser vendor, or by some other source, so as
to correspond to other corporate data. A data field AcctName is included in the
tblAcct table 302 and specifies a textual identifier for the account (e.g., an individual
account of the fictional corporation "MegaHotel Corp."). The data field AlignTD
corresponds to an AlignTD key from tblAlign table 300 to establish a relationship
between the two tables.
The data fields AcctFdata and AcctLdata, exemplary time period specifiers,
indicate the first and last dates of a time period for which valid row data exists in
relation to a given AcctTD. In this manner, the analysis application need not search
all available data in the database to determine whether a requested time period
contains valid data for a particular account TD.
A tblAlignTgt table 314 specifies the performance targets of the laundry
operation corresponding to an alignment ID stored in data field AlignTD. The
performance targets are used to determine when a particular operational result is
"out-of-spec" (i.e., outside of desired target parameters). The data field TargefTD
represents the unique key for each row of the tblAlignTgt table 314. The data field
IsCurrent indicates whether the given row of the tblAlignTgt table 314 is current for
the value stored in the data field AlignTD, relating back to the tblAlign table 300.
Because the tblAlignTgt table 314 relates to the tblAlign table 300 via a data field
AlignTD, the table parameters stored in the tblAlignTgt table 314 are assigned for a
given alignment (e.g., corporation). Alternative target parameters can be configured for additional alignment levels or accounts by way of additional target tables.
Furthermore, the target parameters may be changed over time using the data field
IsCurrent and the data fields StlntDate and EndlntDate, which describe the first and
last date of a time period during which the associated target parameters are valid.
The data field LbsOCR defines a target parameter for pounds (lbs.) per
occupied room. The data fields SlLds/Day, S2Lds/Day and S3Lds/Day define target
parameters for the number of loads per day washed during three shifts. The data
field Temp defines a target parameter for the hot water temperature supplied to a
washer, preferably as detected by the dispenser.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the target parameters are
specified with predetermined values that can be updated manually or automatically
over time by adding new rows in the tblAlignTgt table 314. In an alternative
embodiment of the present invention, however, the target parameters may be a
function of other data within the database. For example, by way of a database query,
the average LbsOCR may be calculated and entered in the tblAlignTgt table 314 for
a particular time period and alignment TD. In an alternative embodiment, the target
is dynamically set by taking the recent corporate average (i.e., the last 30 days of detected dispenser data and corporate data) and adjusting it by 20% to set a new
target. For example, using a corporate average of 14.7 lbs. per occupied room over
the past thirty days, a dynamic target of 17.64 lbs. per occupied room (14.7*1.2 =
17.64) is set. Therefore, all accounts have a lbs. per occupied room exceeding 17.64
are considered "out-of-spec".
A tblCensus table 304 describes occupancy data relating to a particular
account, as represented by data field AcctTD and a particular alignment, as
represented by data field AlignlD. The tblCensus table contains a data field
CensusTD, which is a unique key for the table. The tblCensus table 304 also
includes a data field SDate and EDate, which are exemplary time period specifiers defining the start and end date of a period for which the occupancy data in a given
row is valid. In other words, if the laundry operator provides occupancy data,.as
supplied in data field Occpncy, on a weekly basis, then the start and end dates would
define a week. Alternatively, for example, a daily occupancy result would have start
and end dates that are equal or that would span a twenty-four hour period from one
day to the next.
The tblGenlnfo table 316 contains information about costs, energy usage, and
shift start times, although other general information parameters may be added within
the scope of the present invention. A data field GenlnfoTD includes a unique key for
each row of the tblGenlnfo table 316. The data fields StlntDate, EndlntDate and
IsCurrent specify the time period for which a particular row of the tblGenlnfo table
316 is valid and whether it is the current entry in the tblGenlnfo table 316. The data
fields StlntDate and EndlntDate are exemplary time period specifiers. The data field
AcctTD relates the row of the table tblGenlnfo table 316 to a particular account in the
tblAcct table 302. The date of the tblGenlnfo table 316 may be entered manually or
it can be delivered automatically through a computer link to an appropriate source
(e.g., a utility server, a hotel server, a corporate server, etc.).
The data fields Shift 1, Shift2, and Shift3, indicate the start times of each
work shift. In an alternative embodiment, start and end times of each work shift may
be included in the tblGenlnfo table 316. The data field Labor indicates the cost per
hour of the laundry operation labor force. In an alternative embodiment, labor can
vary on a per shift basis or on an hourly basis (e.g., according to shift premiums) and
may be specified with more detail in the tblGenlnfo table 316 in additional fields.
Utility costs are represented by data fields Water, Sewage, and Energy. The cost of
water is preferably represented on a per 1 ,000 gallon basis. The cost of sewage
treatment is provided on a per 1,000 gallon basis. The cost of energy is indicated as
the total energy used in therms by the laundry operation. A therm is a unit used to
measure a quantity of heat and equals 100,000 British thermal units (BTUs). The
data field TempRise indicates the number of degrees in Fahrenheit or Celsius that
the water from the public utility must be heated in order to meet the target water
temperature. The data fields PlCost, P2Cost, P3Cost, and P4Cost indicate the cost
of cleaning product on a per case basis. Alternative costing measures may be used,
including cost of product on a per capsule basis or on a per measured amount basis.
The tblDisp table 306 includes a unique key in data field DispTJD. The
tblDisp table 306 also includes the data field storing in an AcctTD to relate the
tblDisp table 306 to an account. A data field Disp# stores a dispenser number
assigned to the dispenser within an account. A password is stored in the data field
Password, which regulates access to the program logic of the dispenser associated with each entry. For example, in order to change formulas at a given dispenser, a
field service manager must enter the associated password into a keypad on the
dispenser.
A data field 4thProduct is a yes/no field indicating whether the dispenser
supports the dispensing of a fourth product. A data field MultFeeds is a yes/no
parameter, indicating whether the dispenser supports multiple feeds of a given
product per formula. That is, some dispensers support multiple cycles that request
the same detergent to be dispensed within a particular formula. The data field
MultFeeds stores the indicator of whether the dispenser supports such a capability.
The data fields DispFdata and DispLdata, exemplary time period specifiers, define
the first and last dates for which the data in a given row in the tblDisp table 306 is
valid.
A tblAssoc table 318 includes a unique key in data field AssocTD. An
identifier of a particular sales district is contained in the data field DistricfTD. A
second level of hierarchy in the district is contained in the data field ArealD and the
first and last name of the associate is stored in the data fields FirstName and
LastName. Preferably an associate is a person responsible for managing an account,
such as a field service technician or field service manager.
A tbTMach table 308 contains a unique key in data field MachTD. A data
field Machine# contains a number identifying the machine (e.g., "1" or "2" in a
dispenser that supports up to two machines) for each dispenser associated with the
dispenser identifier in the data field DispTD of the tbTMach table 308. Alternative
embodiments of the present invention may serve more than two machines. The data
field MachWt indicates the capacity of the corresponding machine (e.g., thirty-five
pounds or one hundred pounds). The data field ChartStop indicates whether the
machine supports a command that puts the washing machine on hold, particularly
during a bath cycle. A data field MicroMode indicates whether the dispenser is
capable of taking signals in a specific format. Preferably, the specific format
specifies both the product that the washing machine requests as well as the formula.
In this fashion, the laundry operator can merely program the washing machine, for
example, for "sheets", and the washing machine can communicate the corresponding
formula identifier to the dispenser, rather than relying on manual settings on both the
washing machine and the dispenser.
A tblFormulas table 310 contains information about the formulas supported
by a particular machine, which is specified by the identifier in the data field MachTD.
A unique key is stored in the data field FormlD. A number associated with a
particular formula is stored in the data field Formula#. In a preferred embodiment,
the data field Formula# typically includes the numbers 1 through 10; however, the
number of formulas need not be limited to ten formulas within the scope of the
present invention. A data field FrmLkUpTD stores a unique identifier used to look
up a particular formula name and weight factor in the tblFormLk table 312. The data
fields PI Amt, P2Amt, P3Amt, and P4Amt store amounts of products to be
dispensed during requested cycles of the washing process. PI, P2, P3, and P4
correspond to product numbers assigned to the various receptacles in the dispenser,
such as detergents, bleaches, stain remover and rinse agents. Although only one
amount is illustrated for each product in the tblFormulas table 310 of FIG. 3,
additional amount fields may be added for each product in support of the multiple
feed capability identified in the tblDisp table 306. In a preferred embodiment, three amounts are allowed for PI, three amounts are allowed for P2, one amount is
allowed for P3, and three amounts are allowed for P4.
A tblSignal table 320 contains information about signals received in a given
dispenser. A unique key is stored in the data field SignaTTD. The dispenser D
associated with the dispenser receiving the signal is stored in the data field DispTD.
The unique key is stored in the data field ProdTD and used to look up product
information in the tblPrdLkUp table 322. The data field Signal contains a number
for the signal received from a given dispenser. In one embodiment of the present
invention, the data fields PFA, PFB, and PFC contain product factor codes useful in
determining the amount of cleaning product dispensed by a given dispenser. In an
alternate embodiment, one or more product factor codes (e.g., PFl-PFn) may be used
for each signal. Furthermore, one or more of the illustrated data fields may contain a
null value (e.g., representing that the product factor is not used).
The tblFormLk table 312 contains information relating to particular formulas
supported by a dispenser. The data field FrmLkUpTD is associated with a
corresponding JD in the tblFormulas table 310. The data field Formula contains a
textual or numerical formula name or label for a given formula. The data field
WtFactor contains an industry and vendor develop factor correlating the weight
supported by a particular washer with a given laundry item. For example, the proper
loading of a 100 lbs. washing machine basin with sheets is deemed by the industry or
vendor to be 90 actual lbs. of dry linen, whereas the proper loading of a 100 lbs.
basin with blankets is 70 lbs. Therefore the WtFactor for sheets is 0.9 and the
WtFactor for blankets is 0.7.
A tblPrdLkUp table 322 provides lookup data for given products. The data
field ProdTD contains a unique key for each product. The data field ProdType
contains a product number or category relating to a product in a vendor's inventory.
The data field ProdName contains a textual or numerical label identifying a given
product. A data field g/Caps indicates the number of grams per capsule of product.
The data field Caps/Case indicates the number of capsules in a case of the given
product. A data field EmptyWt indicates the weight of an empty capsule. A data
field DisplayNm indicates a name to be displayed on an LED (light emitting diode)
display on a dispenser. FIG. 4A illustrates a second portion of an exemplary database schema in an
embodiment of the present invention. A tblDataArch table 400 contains exemplary
detected dispenser data communicated by a dispenser and communicated to the
database. The data field ID is a unique key for each tblDataArch table 400 entry. A
data field DateArch contains the date of the recording of a given row of the
tblDataArch table 400. Date fields AcctTD and AlignTD correspond to unique keys
of the tblAcct table 302 and the tblAlign table of FIG. 3. The data fields Date and
Time correspond to the date and time of a given event in the dispenser. The data
field Date Time is preferably a concatenation or other combination of the date and
time field entries. The data fields MachTD, FormlD, and SignalTD correspond to the
unique keys in the tbTMach table 308, the tblFormulas table 310, and the tblSignal
table 320 of FIG. 3. The data field Amount preferably contains a detected amount of
product dispensed for a particular event or for a given event. A data field Code
contains an event code to identify a particular event, as described in the tblEvntCde
table 402. A data field Inf contains informational data such as end of formula, start
of formula, capsule empty signals, and other informational data detected by the dispenser.
A tblEvntCde table 402 includes an EvntCode data field associated with the
data field Code in tblDataArch table 400. A data field Text includes text relating to
the event code. The text may be displayed in a report to improve the readability of
archived data.
Table 1 illustrates exemplary dispenser data communicated to a database of
an embodiment of the present invention. Dispenser data can also include
information based on detection of water temperature from a remote or integrated
temperature probe, detection of the actual weight of laundry items in a wash basin,
detection of water flow volume through a hose, and other detection operations at the
dispenser site. In one embodiment of the present invention, code 68 indicates "start
of formula", code 4 indicates a dispensing event, and code 36 indicates an "end of
formula". Other codes are contemplated within the scope of the present invention,
including a code indicating an empty product capsule. Furthermore, in an
embodiment of the present invention, the "INFO" field indicates either water
temperature (in association with codes 68 and 4) or complete formula time (in
association with code 36).
ACCNT# DISP# DATE TIME MACH# FORM# PROD# AMOUNT INFO CODE
98494825 4/1/98 2:44:00AM 6 1 60 120 68
98494825 4/1/98 2:56:00AM 1 6 4 4 122 4
98494825 4/1/98 2:57:00AM 1 6 3 8 13 36
98494825 4/1/98 3:22:00AM 1 1 120 116 68
98494825 4/1/98 3:31 :00AM 2 25 118 4
98494825 4/1/98 3:49:00AM 4 4 120 4
98494825 4/1/98 3:49:00AM 3 8 27 36
98494825 4/1/98 4:07:00AM 1 120 122 68
98494825 4/1/98 4:16:00AM ] 2 25 116 4
98494825 4/1/98 4:33:00AM 1 4 4 118 4
98494825 4/1/98 4:34:00AM 1 3 8 27 36
98494825 4/1/98 4:42:00AM 1 1 120 120 68
98494825 4/1/98 4:52:00AM 2 25 122 4
98494825 4/1/98 5: 10:00AM 4 4 116 4
98494825 4/1/98 5:10:00AM 3 8 28 36
98494825 4/1/98 5:29:00AM 1 4 1 125 118 68
98494825 4/1/98 5:40:00AM 1 I 4 2 25 120 4
98494825 4/1/98 5:56:00AM I 4 3 0 27 36
98494825 4/1/98 6:16:00AM I 2 1 100 122 68
98494825 1 4/1/98 6:26:00AM I 2 2 18 116 4
98494825 4/1/98 6:44:00AM 2 4 4 118 4
98494825 1 4/1/98 6:45:00AM ] I 2 3 8 29 36
98494825 1 4/1/98 7:41:00AM I 1 1 120 120 68
98494825 1 4/1/98 7:51:00AM I 1 2 25 122 4
98494825 1 4/1/98 8:08:00AM I 1 4 4 116 4
98494825 1 4/1/98 8:08:00AM I 1 3 8 27 36
Table 1 - Exemplary Dispenser Data
FIG. 4B illustrates a third portion of an exemplary database schema in an
embodiment of the present invention. A tblFieldStp table 404 includes information
captured by a field service technician at an account site. A data field FSTD is a
unique key in the tblFieldStp table 404. A data field AcctTD is a unique key from
the tblAcct table 302 of FIG. 3. A data field Date contains the date of a given field
stop by a technician. Data fields InvPl, InvP2, InvP3, and InvP4 contain data
entered into a dispenser or into a corporate database that can be communicated to the
database of an embodiment of the present invention, representing the inventory of
products PI, P2, P3 and P4 at a given account. Data field AddPl, AddP2, AddP3,
and AddP4 represent the amount of given products shipped to an account, preferably received from a corporate database.
A tblFSData table 406 contains data corresponding to each dispenser
serviced during a field stop. FSDataTD is a unique ID in the tblTFSData table 406.
The data field FSTD corresponds to a unique key of the tblFieldStp table 404. The
data field DispTD corresponds to a unique key of the tblDisp table 306 of FIG. 3.
Data fields PlWt, P2Wt, P3Wt, and P4Wt contain information recorded by a
technician as to the amount of product left in a capsule of a given product during the
field stop. A data field Mach# includes a machine number for the washing machine
connected to a given dispenser. The machine number stored in data field Mach#
corresponds to the machine from which tests are performed by the technician in the
basin of the washing machine. Preferably, the technician extracts a sample of wash
water from the basin of the machine to test the accuracy of the dispenser. A data
field Form# indicates the current formula being dispensed by the dispenser to a
given machine. A data field AlkTitrn indicates the results of a titration procedure
measuring the alkalinity of the water in the basin of the machine under test in parts
per million (PPM). A data field CL2Titrn indicates the results of a titration
procedure measuring the chlorine in the water in the basin of the machine under test
in PPM. A data field pH indicates the acidity of the water in the wash basin. A data
field Hours indicates the number of hours for which the dispenser has run in a given
account. A data field Notes contains any notes recorded by the technician during the
field stop. A data field PrevDate indicates the last time a field stop was made at a
given dispenser. Data fields PrevPlWt, PrevP2Wt, PrevP3Wt, and PrevP4Wt
indicate the amount of product left in a capsule for each product during the last field
stop.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary corporate summary report 500 for a fictional laundry operator in an embodiment of the present invention. The report 500 is
generated by an analysis application executing within the client/server architecture
illustrated in FIG. 2A. Examples of analysis applications include small-scale and
medium-scale database applications written in Microsoft Access running on a client
computer but can also include large server-based database applications, pattern
recognition applications, and neural net systems using minicomputers and
mainframes. The dispenser data and/or corporate data used to generate the report is
preferably retrieved from the database 228 of FIG. 2 A, analyzed by the analysis
application, and displayed to a user on the client computer 230. Alternatively, the
report may be saved as a document file or printed out in hard copy.
Various elements of the report 500 correspond to data fields described by
database schema of FIGS. 3 and 4 or are derived from data in such data fields. The
report 500 relates to a summary of laundry operations (i.e., accounts) for a fictional
hotel corporation. The hotel corporation in this example owns or manages multiple
hotel facilities, each hotel facility having a corresponding account ID. Furthermore,
each account reported in report 500 shares a common alignment ID to indicate, for
example, that the individual accounts are managed by the same hotel corporation.
In an alternative report (not shown), summary and historical reports are
available on an account-by-account basis, allowing the laundry operator a means of tracking and detecting wash errors and cost issues for an individual account.
However, some laundry operation problems are not apparent on an
account-by-account basis, and only reveal themselves when analyzed across multiple accounts. Therefore, a corporate summary, spanning multiple accounts
corresponding to a single alignment TD, is useful in identifying trends and
corporate-wide laundry operation problems. Accordingly, the hotel corporation can
effectively manage its laundry operations on both an account-by-account basis and a
corporate-wide basis to manage costs and improve efficiency. Such information, for
example, may be useful in developing training programs for laundry employees,
negotiating washer and dispenser maintenance agreements, negotiating chemical
product supply agreements, and coordinating scheduled maintenance throughout a
corporation's multiple laundry operations.
The exemplary report 500 shows summary data relating to a time period from
May 1, 1999 to May 30, 1999, as shown in report section 502. The number of days
in the time period is also shown. The number of units ("# of Units") field shows the
number of accounts included in the summary report, as grouped according to their
alignment ID. The "occupancy" label shows the number of occupied rooms within
all of the corporation's accounts (e.g., individual hotel facilities) included in the
summary. The "Laundry Lbs" label shows the number of pounds of laundry washed
during the time period. The "Lbs/Occupied Rm" label shows a calculation based on
the "Occupancy" and "Laundry Lbs" fields. The Lbs/Occupied Rm result is an
example of product usage data derived from a combination of dispenser data and
corporate data, demonstrating an advantage of an embodiment to the present
invention. A dispenser is capable of detecting the number of washes performed
during a particular time period by virtue of the number of times it provides cleaning
product to a washing machine. This dispenser data can be communicated to the
database via a communications device. In addition, the number of occupied rooms
corresponding to a particular account is corporate data used to manage the business
operations within a corporation. This corporate data may also be communicated to
the database, for example, via a communications link from a business server
computer.
Typically, the pounds of laundry washed is estimated based on the capacity
of each washing machine unit in an account and the number of washes performed,
which are examples of dispenser data. A method of estimating the pounds of
laundry washed calculates the product of the washing machine size (e.g., 100 lbs.)
times the WtFactor assigned to given type of laundry item. Over a period of time,
the estimated pounds of laundry in each washed load are summed. In an alternative
embodiment, a laundry operation having the capability of actually weighing the
items in each load of laundry, perhaps by having a weighing mechanism within the
washer itself, is also contemplated within the present invention.
The bar graph 504 shows the average occupancy (in units of 1,000 occupied
rooms) on a monthly basis over a one year period. The bar graph 504 data is
generated from real-time or historical occupancy data, which is an example of
corporate data, received from the corporation and entered manually or automatically
into the database. Bar graph 506 illustrates the pounds per occupied room on a
monthly basis over a one year period. The data reflected in bar graph 506 is also
derived from dispenser data and corporate data recorded in the database.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary unit summary report for a fictional
corporation in an embodiment of the present invention. The unit summary report 600
is generated by an analysis application running on the client computer or the server
computer in an embodiment of the present invention. The bar chart 602 shows the
number of units (i.e., accounts) having a calculated average pounds of laundry per
occupied room. The bars indicated by region 614 indicate the number of units that
are "out of spec" or outside of a desired threshold or target, as defined by target
parameters from an alignment target table or account target table in database 228 of FIG. 2A. Such information is useful to control energy costs, for example. If a
washing machine is not being run with full loads (as detectable in graphs 506 and
602 and report 608), energy needed to heat the water and run the washing machines
is wasted on extra loads. The report section shown at 608 profiles the pounds of laundry washed per
occupied room, including the corporate average, the number of units out of spec, the
number of units out of spec for more than ninety days, and the potential utility and
labor savings available if the out-of-spec units were brought within target
parameters. The "potential savings" result demonstrates a particularly useful
advantage in combining dispenser data and corporate data into a central repository or
database for analysis of remotely distributed laundry operations. Furthermore, if the
out-of-spec units are distributed across multiple accounts, the magnitude of potential
utility and labor savings would not have been as significant as they are when
analyzed on a corporate-wide basis. The use of an alignment identifier allows
analysis of selected aligned accounts across the entire corporation, an organizational
component, or a geographical region, and amplifies management possibilities on a
corporate-wide basis.
The bar chart 604 shows the number of units having a given average hot
water temperature within a corporation. Hot water is a particularly crucial factor in
the efficient performance of cleaning products and washing machines. In an
embodiment of the present invention, a hot water temperature of 120°F or greater is preferred for optimal cleaning performance, particularly for bleaching and oil
removal. The bar chart 604 provides means for analyzing the hot water temperature
on a corporate-wide basis. The results indicated by region 616 indicate the number
of units that are out-of-spec relative to hot water temperature. In a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, hot water temperature is measured by the dispenser as it flows through the dispenser and mixes with the solid cleaning
products, although in an alternative embodiment, the hot water temperature may be
measured separately by a remote sensor and provided to the database as corporate
data.
Procedural error bar graph 606 and a report section 612 show the number of
units having a given average of loads with procedural eπors. A procedural error
results when a dispenser setting and the washer setting are not set to correspond to
the same wash item type. A procedural error is detected when the dispenser, being
set to a given setting, expects washer signals in accordance with the selected
formula. If the washer fails to provide the expected signals (e.g., if the dispenser is
expecting a bleach signal from the washer, but never receives it), a procedural error
will be flagged and communicated to the database. The analysis application sums
the number of units having an average given number of errors during a specified
time period and generates the bar graph 606 to illustrate the results. The results indicated by region 618 indicate the number of units that are out-of-spec relative to
the average percentage of loads with procedural errors. The report 612 illustrates the
corporate average across all or a predetermined set of accounts. The report 612 also
indicates the number of units that are out-of-spec and the number of units that are out-of-spec for greater than ninety days.
An alternative method of detecting procedural errors uses timing
discrepancies between an actual formula time and an expected formula time. For
example, when the washer program is correct a formula may require 25 minutes to complete from signal 1 to signal 3. If a wrong formula is used on the washer
(relative to the setting on the dispenser), the washer program may only require 20
minutes (e.g., without a bleach cycle). This discrepancy is flagged as a procedural
error. FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary shift productivity and cost reports for a fictional
laundry account in an embodiment of the present invention. A coπesponding report
may be generated for an entire corporation or other organization subdivision, in
accordance with the alignment ID. The report 700 includes individual reports, such
as summary report section 702, a pie chart 706, and shift productivity bar graphs
704, 708 and 710. A legend 712 is also illustrated in report 700. The report section
702 includes a time period, the number of days included in the time period, the total
occupancy during the time period, the pounds of laundry washed during the time
period, the average water temperature during the time period, the number of wash
loads during the time period, and the number of procedural eπors detected during the
time period. Using corporate data available from the database, in combination with
industry accepted formulas or other actual corporate data, a pie chart 706 illustrates
the allocation of expenses relating to the time period shown in report section 702.
The bar graph 704 illustrates the number of loads per day washed during the
time period and divided by shifts. As shown by the legend 712, the bar graph 704
shows both the average loads washed per day during the time period, and a historical
average calculated over the life of the account. The bar graph 708 illustrates the
number of procedural eπors detected per day on a per shift basis. As shown by the
legend 712, the bar graph 708 shows both the average eπors occurring during the
time period, and a historical average calculated over the life of the account. In bar
graph 710, the percentage of procedural eπors is shown on a per shift basis. As
shown by the legend 712, the bar graph 710 shows both the average percentage of
eπors occurring during the time period, and a historical average calculated over the
life of the account.
FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary general productivity and cost basis reports for a
fictional laundry account in an embodiment of the present invention. The report 800
includes bar graphs 802, 804, 806, 810 and 812. The bar graph 802 illustrates the
pounds of laundry washed per occupied room. The bar graph 804 shows the cost of
labor per occupied room associated with the laundry operation. The bar graph 806
illustrates the number of procedural eπors per occupied room. The bar graph 810
illustrates the cost of chemistry per occupied room. The bar graph 812 illustrates the
cost of utilities per occupied room. As indicated by legend 808, the bar graphs 802,
804, 806, 810 and 812 include actual results (i.e., detected over the time period
shown in report section 702 of FIG. 7), an average of a particular account, the
overall corporate average, and the corporate target.
The report section 814 summarizes the cost basis used in the report 800. The
components of the report section 814 illustrate exemplary corporate data elements
recorded in the database. The labor cost basis, for example, may be an average labor
cost, or may be further broken out into specific labor costs for the laundry operators
or for individual shifts. Likewise, the water, sewage and energy costs may be
averages or estimates, or they may be updated on a real time basis. The temperature
rise data element indicates the differential between the water temperature received
from a public utility and the hot water temperature detected in a dispenser.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are implemented as
logical steps in one or more computer systems. The logical operations of the present
invention are implemented (1) as a sequence of processor-implemented steps
executing in one or more computer systems and (2) as interconnected machine
modules within one or more computer systems. The implementation is a matter of
choice, dependent on the performance requirements of the computer system
implementing the invention. Accordingly, the logical operations making up the
embodiments of the invention described herein are refeπed to variously as
operations, steps, objects, or modules.
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description
of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Embodiments of the
present invention; however, may be applied in areas other than laundry operations.
For example, in an agriculture applications, a herbicide dispenser may be supply
herbicide to a chemical application system, such as an irrigation system or a
herbicide sprayer on a crop duster or tractor. The herbicide dispenser data (e.g.,
timing, amount, and identity of herbicide being dispensed) may be combined with
corporate data (e.g., chemical costs, labor costs, field production results, weather
conditions, soil conditions, and type of plants) to manage chemical usage.
Furthermore, sanitation systems in the food and beverage industries and water
treatment industries are also contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
As many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.