Four Winds Casinos Marks New Opening and Upgrades RFID Inventory Management System at Existing Properties

InvoTech Systems, Inc., a provider of linen, laundry and uniform inventory management solutions for hotels, casinos, resorts, and theme parks worldwide, announced that Four Winds Casinos upgraded its existing uniform system at the Dowagiac, Hartford, and New Buffalo locations and implemented the uniform system at its newest property in South Bend. RFID technology will provide additional cost-saving benefits by automating manual tasks that were previously required. The InvoTech uniform system is used at Four Winds Casinos to manage more than 4,500 staff uniforms at multiple properties. InvoTech Systems has implemented inventory management systems for over 500 customers worldwide, including more than 40 Indian gaming properties

Specialized waterproof RFID tags are discreetly attached to each uniform piece to replace the barcode labels previously used. The InvoTech Uniform System automatically tracks RFID tagged uniform pieces when issued to employees and when sent to and received from the laundry. Previously, the barcode labels had to be located on the uniform and scanned individually for each of these daily processes. The RFID technology allows for multiple uniforms to be processed simultaneously and automatically.

“We started the InvoTech uniform system for inventory control and accountability in 2009 at our New Buffalo location,” said Deborah Blake, Uniform Manager at Four Winds Casinos. “Then followed with our Hartford and Dowagiac locations. Our South Bend property added an additional 1,200 jobs, which required a substantial increase in our uniform inventory. The InvoTech methodology tracks and manages all uniforms in a way that seamlessly integrates all of our properties. It gives us a greater sense of control over our employees’ garments, reduces physical labor, and helps us monitor our laundry expenses.”

The newest Four Winds Casino property in South Bend opened January 16th with InvoTech’s RFID Uniform System already in place to maximize cost-savings. InvoTech has extensive experience in implementing systems for new properties, which they provided on-site installation and training services to ensure all uniforms were issued and recorded properly before the grand opening.

The InvoTech Uniform System for Four Winds is a Multi-Property System that offers more cost-saving benefits than a stand-alone system by optimizing the uniform inventory over multiple properties. Inventory reports can be generated for multiple properties together and uniforms can be transferred between properties when needed, instead of purchasing additional uniforms. The system integrates with the property’s automated uniform conveyors to distribute the uniforms to employees and to automatically record which uniforms are taken by employees.