How Chainway Helps Improve RFID Linen Management at Marriott

Managing large volumes of linens such as sheets, towels, and pillowcases is a complex task for hotel chains. At a company like Marriott International, thousands of items constantly move between hotels, laundry facilities, and storage locations. Traditional methods, such as manual counting and record-keeping, are time-consuming and often lead to errors or lost items.

To improve this process, a solution based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology was introduced. Each piece of linen is equipped with a small RFID tag embedded in the fabric. Using handheld RFID scanners and management software, hotel staff can quickly track and identify each item.

As linens move through different stages—collection, washing, sorting, and redistribution—the RFID tags are automatically scanned. The data is then sent to a central system that records the location and status of every item. This allows staff to monitor linen inventory and movement in real time.

The system relies on RFID hardware from Chainway, including mobile readers that can scan large quantities of tagged textiles quickly and accurately.

Implementing RFID for linen management provides several advantages:
    •    Faster inventory checks: Thousands of items can be counted within seconds.
    •    Reduced losses: Each linen item can be tracked throughout its lifecycle.
    •    Improved efficiency: Staff spend less time on manual counting and paperwork.
    •    Lifecycle monitoring: The system can track how many times a linen item has been washed and when it should be replaced.

By adopting RFID technology for linen management, Marriott can streamline operations and gain better visibility over its inventory. Automated tracking reduces losses, improves efficiency, and helps ensure that hotels always have the necessary linens available for guests.