By now, you probably know what we're about here at Spindle: we give you data, lots of it, that you can use to track every aspect of your commercial laundry plant and identify areas for improvement in real time.
Without data, it's difficult to really know what is going right or wrong at your plant.
The best part? You don't need a team of data analysts to pick through the data and then figure out what to do. Spindle's software will "recommend actions" based on the data automatically, like a 24/7 consultant.
The truth is, that only scratches the surface of what Spindle can do for your plant and, critically, for your employees.
Spindle can change the way your employees think about their work. It arms your leaders with more information to make better decisions. It ultimately changes your organization's entire culture — for the better.
Spindle's benefits go much deeper than just data. Spindle software has the power to be the mechanism by which your plant's employees adjust their mindsets about work and managers learn how to press the right motivational buttons.
You might be thinking, "It's just data — how could it be any more than that? They're hard numbers and that's all they are."
Spindle is designed to be user-friendly and requires minimal training to get started. The software automates the data collection and interpretation process, significantly reducing the workload and need for specialized skills. It's a tool that levels up whomever is in charge, giving your team the systems needed in order to make change.
But even data — more specifically, a resonant display and communication of that data — has a profoundly psychological component.
At the end of the day, we are our habits. As James Clear writes in the book "Atomic Habits," "outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits."
If you see bad habits throughout your plant, don't worry: there's a simple habit-changing playbook that integrates seamlessly with Spindle software.
The psychology of Spindle maps with the psychology of the human mind ... the desire for safety, well being, peace of mind, advancement, fulfillment and reward (to name a few).
There's a lot going on in a commercial laundry plant at any given moment. Dozens of singular tasks performed concurrently, loud machinery, overhead rails transporting bags of items to be cleaned. Folding, machine feeding, organizing, packaging.
Every moment is an opportunity. Spindle captures all of the action and helps your team visualize areas of opportunity in real-time. Not only that, it helps managers acknowledge top performers when their work is consistently excellent.
Spindle is strategy. By investing in Spindle, you are investing in the very groundwork that will empower your team to make data-backed business decisions.
For example, "are we staffed appropriately for the day or do we need that new piece of equipment in order to take on the new business?" These discussions between management are much more clear when you can support them with data. 
Spindle is culture. Using data, the software provides managers with reports indicating coaching opportunities for certain employees who may need a word of advice or encouragement.
Rather than letting lagging results become a persistent problem, managers can address them in a constructive and timely way.
This allows for two-way growth: 1) Managers can improve their interpersonal skills and develop their ability to provide constructive feedback that is motivating, rather than discouraging. This, in turn, boosts employee retention and productivity rates. 2) Employees can receive feedback in real time and know where they stand at any given time, rather than wondering if they are doing well or not.
Spindle is mentorship. In an era of "doing more with less," Spindle can be the significant force multiplier your plant needs.
Spindle does the heavy legwork for you of tabulating the numbers and producing recommendations for improvement in your plant. After that, it's the manager's time to shine. In that vein, Spindle is a sort of mentor to managers by providing the recommendations to best move the plant forward and, in turn, be a mentor to the employees.
You don't need an army of data analysts, motivational speakers or high-priced consultants: Spindle can do all of that for you.
Spindle is safety and peace of mind. Spindle data can help you see when a piece of equipment is in need of a tune-up or is down and needs immediate attention. That means addressing equipment issues before they compound into productivity killers or, worse, result in injury to employees.
Spindle is about setting new habits. Have you ever tried to set a new habit toward self-improvement in some form? Whether it's going to the gym more frequently, reading more, setting aside time for a particular hobby ... whatever it is, making something habitual requires repetition and mindset. Then, once that repetition starts to yield results (i.e., rewards), you'll seek to continue that habit. After using Spindle, employees and managers get used to the idea of feedback. There is then less friction when it comes to implementing actions based on feedback. In short, giving and getting feedback becomes a habit. 
Spindle is the power of compounding interest %. As "Atomic Habits" explains, "habits are the compound interest of self-improvement." If you improve by 1% each day for a year, you'll end up 37 times better by the end of the year.
When implementing improvements, there will be low-hanging fruit to get started that's easily identified ... but where do you focus your time and effort after? Spindle will help your team become aware of problems in your plant that otherwise would have slipped under the radar.
With Spindle, you can track your progress and trends on your goals. A few examples of things you can track to identify incremental improvement opportunities:
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As you can imagine, there's a lot more that goes into getting and maintaining a strong commercial laundry operation workforce than just telling employees they have to hit a certain target.
Let's look to the world of sports. The best managers and coaches aren't just tactical geniuses — in fact, many of the greatest coaches of all time aren't necessarily known for their tactical smarts.
Phil Jackson, famed coach of many championship NBA teams with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, was known as the "Zen Master" for his ability to motivate his teams, composed of vastly differing personalities, to perform their best.
The best managers and coaches have been the ones who knew how to get the most of their players ... by understanding them.
In simple terms, that means:
If you're a plant manager and think you just don't have the time to think about this type of thing, the reality is this: you can't afford not to think about it.
If you don't, you'll be stuck on the same spinning wheel of low retention, low employee happiness, and inconsistent and uneven productivity levels across your plant.
We've talked about the features of Spindle software in other places, so if you'd like to learn more about the software, you can visit our Resources page. In terms of data, Spindle real-time operations software helps you keep up to date on everything that's going on in your plant.
However, as we've reviewed in this article, there are unseen, psychological components to this data. Any application of the software and consideration of the data it provides is incomplete without equal consideration to the psychological forces that motivate people.
You, too, can be the Zen Master of your operation.
With Spindle, take a data-driven approach ... with a human touch.
While not every employee can be Michael Jordan, every team needs a Scottie Pippen, a Dennis Rodman, a Toni Kukoc ... well, you get the idea. The best teams find a way to incorporate every contributor's best skills and leverage them in a way that makes the individual and the team happy.
Want to learn more? Contact us to learn how you can be the Zen Master, the Habit Builder, the Performance Booster for your plant.
