RFID CASE STUDY
The RFID tags identify which changeroom fresh clothes are destined for, then barcodes affixeded within the changeroom are read to match clothing with each worker’s locker.
A laundry facility run by the Colomiers YMCA near Toulouse, France, cleans work clothes for aircraft manufacturer Airbus. To meet Airbus’ tracking needs and to help disabled workers deal with large daily volumes, the center has implemented an RFID tracking solution. The
Colomiers
YMCA’s
mission
is
to assist people with temporary or permanent disabilities and social issues. The YMCA offers social and health services, including accommodation for disabled workers, vocational training, vocational rehabilitation and support to people with brain injuries. It also provides ‘sheltered work’ opportunities. The YMCA’s Establishment and Service Support by Working (ESAT) program holds 320 places for disabled workers, including positions in ‘green’ businesses, in kitchens throughout Toulouse, and in the YMCA laundry servicing Airbus. 34 • Nordic IDea
: RFID the solution
FOR YMCA AND AIRBUS
BENEFITS ALL AROUND The YMCA’s laundry facility was developed in 1978 in order to meet the needs of its residents and hotel. Originally located in the YMCA’s downtown living quarters, the facility slowly grew obsolete though it did take on some commercial business. The YMCA saw an opportunity and in 2007 opened a new 700 square meter facility in an industrial area adjacent to Airbus’ campus. Airbus soon saw that the ESAT laundry program was a perfect match. The aerospace manufacturer had been searching for a global provider of laundry services, but outsourcing laundry to the ESAT program would give the company a tax break as well as helping it to meet its government-mandated quota regarding disabled worker employment.