The ELAN project
ELAN: an offline laboratory, data in the cloud.
From garment collection to kit delivery: the SLC-TD project for ELAN connects work at client premises, the offline laboratory and the cloud.
For ELAN, LockerClean designed and implemented SLC-TD, the software dedicated to managing and tracking uniforms within the laundry’s production process. The laboratory PC works offline. The handheld records collections and deliveries at client sites and enables data exchange between the laboratory and the cloud.
What makes the project distinctive is how these three components are organised: the local workstation supports laboratory activities, the handheld records operations in the field, and the cloud gathers the information transmitted.
Collections and deliveries, recorded on site
At collection, the operator scans each garment’s barcode with the handheld. Each accepted scan records the collection and updates the garment’s status. If the operator notices a problem, they can flag the garment for checking in the laboratory.
At delivery, the operator selects the client site and scans the label of the kit prepared for the employee. The handheld records the delivery and shows the recipient, together with their locker and department where these are included in their record. If the kit belongs to a different site, it flags the mismatch and blocks the delivery from being recorded at the selected site.
Operations can also be recorded without network coverage, provided the app is set up to launch offline and the necessary data is already on the device. Uploads to the cloud use the mobile connection; when there is no network, records remain pending and the system retries with a valid session. Rejected uploads need to be checked.
The work stays in the laboratory
On the PC, the software supports garment marking, intake and preparation of uniform kits for each employee. Collection at the client’s premises and intake at the laboratory are separate steps: the first is recorded on the handheld, the second in the local software.
When assembling kits, scanning garments helps the operator group them by recipient. The kit label then allows the delivery operator to record its delivery at the client’s premises.
These local activities do not require Internet access on the PC. Between handheld connections, the laboratory uses the data already received and records its own work.
The connection to the laboratory
When the operator connects the handheld to the PC via USB and starts synchronisation, the records from the collection and delivery round are transferred to the local software. In the same exchange, the handheld receives data on the work carried out in the laboratory and on ready kits whose labels have been printed.
The handheld sends these updates to the cloud through its own mobile connection. It also transfers new information from the cloud to the PC when it can download it during the connection.
Laboratory PC ↔ USB ↔ handheld ↔ mobile network ↔ cloud
The two exchanges take place at different times: collections and deliveries can reach the cloud during the round, while updates from the laboratory require the handheld to be connected to the PC, followed by an upload. The PC and the cloud do not communicate directly.
A solution built for ELAN
ELAN is the first client for whom LockerClean developed uniform management and tracking. The project shows how customisation can also cover the way workstations, devices and people exchange information.
In this case, the choice was to keep the laboratory workstation offline and use the handheld both to record operations at client premises and to exchange data with the cloud.
This is LockerClean’s work: starting from the laundry’s needs, defining the necessary functions and building a solution that fits the client’s organisation. For other businesses, the configuration and possible developments are assessed and agreed according to the work to be managed.