From the first tag
to the final check.

01 / How the solution fits together

LinenFlow connects physical textile flow with item-level records. A passive UHF RFID tag carries an identifier. A reader and antennas detect it in a defined zone. The software turns these identities into an operational event: receipt, batch assignment, verification or dispatch.

This guide describes the operating model and recommended deployment. Specific screens, integrations and outage behaviour follow the configuration delivered for your installation. Do not derive antenna settings or electrical connections from the animation.

02 / Item records and master data

Before the first read, create customers, facilities, textile types and read points. The customer and owner can differ: a hotel may use rental linen. Keep them separate so claims and reports reach the right party.

• An item record contains its internal ID, active RFID identity, type, dimensions, owner, customer and commissioning date.
• Operational data includes the last confirmed event, location, order, status, completed wash count and repairs.
• Preserve original identifiers during import. Resolve unknown customers and duplicate tags before confirmation.
• Standardise textile type names: the same towel type should not have different names across shifts.

Replacing a damaged tag

Assign the new tag to the same item record, deactivate the old identity and record the reason. Lifetime and wash counts do not restart. If the original item cannot be reliably identified, do not merge histories by guesswork; leave it unresolved.

03 / States, events and traceability

A state represents the last confirmed step. An event records who made the change, when, at which workstation and for which order. An antenna signal alone does not necessarily mean linen has been accepted or a delivery is complete.

Corrections should remain traceable: original event, reason, author and corrective event. The latest read shows the last known location, not continuous tracking between read points.

04 / Counting wash cycles correctly

1. Create a wash batch and assign its item list. The batch has an ID, programme, machine or workstation and start time.
2. Confirm actual completion. The event can come from an operator or an agreed integration.
3. Add one cycle to every item in the completed batch. Retrying the same confirmation must not add another wash.
4. Distinguish an interrupted batch from a genuine rewash. A new wash gets a new batch ID; an administrative correction must not create a fictional cycle.

Example: towel LF–00842 has 42 washes. Completing batch P–026 increases this to 43. Reading it during folding or delivering the same confirmation twice does not increase it to 44. RFID does not need to read through a closed washer drum.

05 / Permissions and accountability

Use personal accounts or individual sign-in on shared terminals. Match permissions to the work; ordinary operators do not need reader configuration access. Disable accounts when staff leave. Decide who can approve a dispatch discrepancy before go-live.

06 / Reports, stocktakes and lifetime

The operational view tracks received, in-process, ready and dispatched items by customer and period. Supervisors need open orders, unresolved discrepancies and unusually long intervals between steps.

• Stocktake: select a location and reference time, read the actual inventory, compare expected and found identities, then resolve differences.
• Circulation: measure time from dispatch to the next receipt. Flag overdue items for investigation; a missing read alone does not prove loss.
• Lifetime: track cycles, repairs and retirement reasons by type. A cycle threshold prompts inspection; it does not replace a physical assessment.
• Economics: compare labour and claims at similar order volumes. Separate laundry benefits from textile-owner savings.

07 / Site preparation and installation plan

1. Map dirty and clean linen routes, hygiene boundaries and handovers. Read stations must not introduce inappropriate cross-flow.
2. Measure the largest trolley, load height and required clear width. Include safe handling clearance for the workplace.
3. Record metalwork, pipes, nearby textiles and readers, moisture, cleaning methods, power and networking.
4. Plan antennas and terminal, impact protection, cable routes and parking outside the read zone.
5. Approve the plan with the manager and technician. Keep the layout, equipment list and responsibilities.

Prepare a reference sample: a known item list, chosen tags, empty and full trolleys and typical dry and damp textile conditions. Use this to validate performance.

08 / Installing portals, antennas and terminals

1. Mark the passage centreline and mounting points. Check trolley clearance, escape routes and control access.
2. Secure the structure and antennas with brackets suitable for the substrate. Protect them against cage impacts and site cleaning methods.
3. Place the reader in an environment matching its protection rating and temperature limits. Preserve service access, cooling and manufacturer clearances.
4. Label RF cables at both ends with the port number. Follow specified type, length, bend radius and connector torque.
5. Mount the terminal where it can be reached and read while handling a trolley safely.
6. A qualified person provides power and fixed electrical connections according to the project and device documentation. Check protection measures and cabling before powering on.

Antennas may be side-mounted, overhead or part of a shielded cabin. The choice depends on the trolley and textile. Count, orientation and power cannot be determined from doorway dimensions alone.

09 / Networking and initial configuration

1. Assign devices to the facility and zone, such as RECEIVING-01 and DISPATCH-01. Record serial numbers, ports and addresses.
2. Agree addressing, network separation and required connections with IT. Do not allow unrestricted inbound internet access; use destinations and ports from the delivered configuration.
3. Change default credentials and store them in an approved password manager. Separate operator and service access.
4. Set the correct reader region and permitted parameters for the model and country. Keep radio settings within the approved range.
5. Verify time synchronisation, terminal connectivity and a test event in the correct zone. One test tag must produce the expected record.

10 / Sew-in and heat-seal RFID tags

Both options provide item identity. Attachment, dimensions and operating limits differ. Select the tag and its position together: folds, seams, pressing and user comfort affect suitability.

Sew-in option

1. Choose a hem or pocket where the tag will not cause discomfort, hang loose or sit on a stressed fold.
2. Stitch only in the manufacturer-designated area. The needle must not damage the chip or internal antenna.
3. Read the attached tag, assign the item record and inspect the attachment.

Heat-seal option

1. Use a tag or patch designed for heat sealing. Check compatibility with the textile material.
2. Apply the tag to a clean, dry area with a heat press. Use temperature, pressure, dwell and cooling times from the datasheet for the specific tag and adhesive combination.
3. After cooling, check the bond, readability and item assignment. Run a trial wash in the actual programme before batch application.

Do not use a universal press recipe for every tag. Inspect the trial batch after drying and finishing as well. A successful first read does not establish attachment lifetime.

11 / Tuning and acceptance testing

A known physical trolley inventory lets you compare expected identities with actual reads. Without a reference list, the detected tag count cannot establish accuracy. Test individual passages, not the sum of random reads across a day.

Record the tag, trolley, loading, textile condition, trials, results, settings and approved passage procedure. Agree acceptance targets before the pilot. A failed result calls for a zone or process adjustment, not an unrecorded count correction.

12 / Receiving linen: operator guide

1. Sign in and check the workstation. Select the customer and receipt or open order.
2. Move other trolleys outside the area. Prepare one batch using the accepted procedure.
3. Perform the read and wait for completion. Compare the customer, textile types and any expected quantities.
4. Resolve unknown or unrelated items as exceptions. Use approved repeat reading or a handheld for incomplete reads.
5. Confirm receipt after resolving differences. Assign the next step and clear the zone.

If no expected item list exists, receiving records the identities actually accepted. Dispatch can use this as a reference, but an unknown expected quantity cannot retrospectively be presented as verified.

13 / Washing, finishing and assembly

1. Assign items to a specific batch before loading. Every identity must have an unambiguous cycle assignment.
2. Confirm the batch status after completion. For interrupted cycles, select the appropriate reason and next step.
3. Record drying, ironing or folding according to the configured scope. They do not themselves add a wash cycle.
4. Assemble by customer and order. Separate damaged textiles, record the reason and add replacements according to ownership rules.
5. Identify prepared trolleys and keep them outside neighbouring active zones until dispatch verification.

14 / Dispatch verification: operator guide

1. Open the correct outbound order. Check customer, delivery address and expected types and identities for your operating model.
2. Move one full trolley into the zone and complete the approved read.
3. Review missing, extra and wrong-customer items. Matching totals are insufficient if textiles belong to another customer.
4. Resolve the physical discrepancy and repeat the check. Only the designated role may approve an exception with a recorded reason.
5. Confirm dispatch, create the handover record and move the trolley to the collection area.

Example at 240 / 240: one correct towel is missing and one unrelated towel is present. The quantity matches, but the order does not. Identity verification detects the mix-up that simple counting misses.

15 / Troubleshooting and exceptions

For support, record the time, zone ID, order, item IDs and latest change. Installation photos and event logs help; do not send passwords or tokens. Do not blindly increase reader power, as this may increase cross-reads.

16 / ERP, imports and integration events

Establish the source of truth for customers, textiles, orders and dispatch. Two systems must not overwrite the same field without rules. Field mapping, transport and authentication follow the project specification. The following is a data model, not a live public API endpoint.

• Acknowledge transfer only after saving. Retrying the same ID must not create another receipt, dispatch or wash.
• Separate data errors from temporary outages: an invalid customer needs correction; an interruption may need a retry.
• Test duplicates, out-of-order events, unknown IDs and replay after outages. Results must match in both systems.
• Validate sample CSV imports: encoding, delimiter, required fields, unique IDs and time format.

17 / Maintenance, updates and recovery

• Before each shift, inspect antennas, brackets, cables, terminal and zone clearance. Read the reference sample.
• Regularly review exceptions, damaged tags and operational changes. New trolleys or loading may require revalidation.
• Before updates, back up configuration, record the version and agree a service window. Prepare a rollback.
• After a change, run a reference receipt, complete a test batch, verify dispatch and test an exception.
• Agree backup intervals, retention, responsibilities and recovery targets in the operating agreement. Test recovery.

Follow device protection ratings and manufacturer cleaning guidance. Document antenna repositioning and validate it with a retest. Operations should not depend on one person’s undocumented configuration.

18 / Handover checklist and training

• Layout, equipment list, serial numbers and zone descriptions.
• Tag types, attachment, datasheets and trial-wash results.
• Configuration record and approved passage parameters.
• Acceptance test including incomplete reads, wrong-customer items and an outage.
• Roles, operational owner, support contact and secure credential handover.
• Training for receiving, production, dispatch and supervisors on real scenarios.
• Initial metrics: handling time, exceptions, mix-ups and order closure.
• Review date and open issues with named owners.

For a specific installation, contact sales@buylo.ai. Include your process, trolley types, textile volume and the system LinenFlow should integrate with.