Case Study. Steven Renner, Sr. Managing Consultant BACKGROUND OBJECTIVE

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1 Case Study Title: Author: Product Trial Confirms STC Engineered Products have Higher User Satisfaction and Lower Cost-Per-Use (Centima Flat Sheet vs. Industry Standard T180 Flat Sheet) Steven Renner, Sr. Managing Consultant BACKGROUND Standard Textile was challenged by a laundry service to prove its products not only perform better (providing higher end-user satisfaction) but also last longer (providing an overall lower cost-per use) than their current products. The executives making the purchasing decision regarding textile products understood initial acquisition cost is only part of the picture. To assess the true cost of any product you need to take into account performance and the useful lifespan of the product. OBJECTIVE In an effort to provide an unbiased comparison between the products provided by Standard Textile and the current products utilized by the Laundry, Standard dedicated significant resources to conduct a side by side product trial. The product trial was designed to determine the actual performance and lifespan of the products listed below. Standard Textile: Centima 66X115 Flat Sheet Manufactured with patented Centium Core Technology Room Ready For You Pre-Laundered with Tide 75% Ring Spun Cotton, 25% Microfiber Polyester Current Product: T180 66X115 Flat Sheet 55% Cotton, 45% Polyester To achieve the goal of assessing the actual performance and lifespan of the two products, the trial was structured with the following objectives: Create product trial structure that will produce unbiased results (Products washed and tested in multiple environments).

2 Provide thorough comparison of product specifications and physical attributes (Pilling, Fiber Content, Mullens Burst) Communicate complete set of testing results at pre-established intervals throughout trial. (0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 processing's). Provide end user feedback regarding product attributes (Performance, Durability, Feel, and Appearance). Identify product with lowest total cost-per-use. STRATEGY The Consultative Services team at Standard Textile was assigned the task of developing the procedures for the product trial to achieve all of the outlined goals and objectives, managing the trial process, and communicating the results to all parties involved with the trial. Once the consultative services team developed the structure for the product trial, a kickoff meeting was held with the Laundry team to discuss the guidelines for the trial and obtain their approval. During the kickoff meeting, members of the Laundry team were impressed with the thoroughness of the product trial structure and procedures. It was confirmed that the format of the product trial would meet their objectives, so they gave the approval to immediately start the trial. To ensure the product trial would provide completely unbiased results, the products were tested in multiple environments. Durability Testing (The STC and the T180 sheets were cut in half and sewn to each other to ensure they were exposed to the same wash cycles and chemicals) Washed at STC lab, tested at STC lab Washed at the Laundry s plant, tested at STC lab Washed at independent lab, tested at independent lab Real Life Testing (Real life testing was part of the trial to compare how products performed when exposed to the wear and elements of the real world. STC and the T180s were simultaneously injected at the selected account.) Used at actual account, washed at the Laundry plant, and tested at STC lab. For each testing environment, specific testing intervals corresponding with the number of processing s the product received were established. A set of products were pulled at the preestablished intervals and submitted for testing at various labs. 2

3 The following tests were conducted at intervals of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 processing's. The test results at each interval were documented for each product, tracked on an ongoing basis, and communicated throughout the trial. Pilling- Conducted at 5X only ASTM D 3512 (Standard Test Method for Pilling Resistance and Other Related Surface Changes of Textile Fabrics: Random Tumble Pilling Tester) Fiber Content = ASTM D 629 (Standard Test Methods for Quantitative Analysis of Textiles will be conducted at the STC Lab only Mullens Burst - ASTM D 3786 (Standard test Method for Hydraulic Bursting Strength of Textiles Fabrics - Diaphragm Bursting Strength Tester Method will be conducted The final piece of the trial was the assessment of the overall product quality of each product. To assess the product quality, a survey was created to gather feedback from the end users of the products at an account utilizing both products. Three sets of Product Quality Surveys were completed to obtain feedback directly from the product end users. The first survey was completed at the start of the trial to assess the quality of the T180 sheet, the sheet that had been used at the account for the past several years. Follow-up surveys were completed at intervals of three months and eight months from the start of the trial to assess the quality of the STC sheeting. 3

4 Pounds RESULTS Pilling The observed resistance to pilling is reported on an arbitrary scale ranging from 5 (no pilling) to 1 (severe pilling). After 5 washings, the Centima sheet had 10% less pilling than the Industry standard T180 sheet. Product/Washings 5X T Centima 2.67 Fiber Content The STC Centima sheet had 50% more cotton content than the T180 sheet and consistently maintained the higher cotton content ratio throughout the trial. Product/Washings 0X 50X 100X 150X T180 Poly % Cotton % Standard Poly % Cotton % Mullens Burst Prior to the trial, several random samples of discarded/ragged-out product were collected at the laundry. The products were discarded because they were determined to be too thin or they had developed small tears or holes. The discarded samples were tested and the results indicated the sheets had an average Mullens Burst score of 141 pounds. Therefore, Mullens Burst value of 141 was established as baseline for the end of product life. The graph below documents the Mullens Burst scores for each product at each testing stage during the product trial Washings T180 Standard Textile Centima End of Life Mullens Burst Value 4

5 Score The trial results indicate that it took 171 washings for the Standard Textile Centima sheet to reach a Mullens Burst value of 141 lbs. vs. the T180 that achieved the same value at 100 washings. The findings indicate STC s Centima flat sheet lasted 71% longer than the Industry standard T180 flat sheet. Product Quality Scores In addition to the product testing, Standard Textile also conducted the product quality survey in coordination with the Laundry and the linen distribution staff at the Hospital. The surveys were conducted with the end users of the sheeting products (nursing and environmental services). Survey respondents were asked to provide feedback regarding the sheeting products. The initial survey evaluated the Industry standard T180 product and was conducted at the beginning of the sheeting trial. Subsequent surveys were conducted at periods of three months and eight months into the trial to evaluate the Standard Textile Sheets. Comparing the results of the first survey against the third survey, on average the Centima sheet from Standard Textile scored 83% higher than the Industry standard T180 sheet in all areas Survey Questions Survey 1: T180 Sheeting Average Scores Survey 2: STC Sheeting Average Scores 3 Months Survey 3: STC Sheeting Average Scores 8 Months 5

6 SUMMARY Standard Textile designed and conducted a product trial that would compare our product against a T180 in a way that would achieve unbiased results. The trial was designed to measure all of the key features of the product during various stages of the products life cycle. The following is a summary of the lab testing and survey results. Pilling: After 5 washings, the STC Centima sheet had 10% less pilling than the industry standard T180 sheet Fiber Content: The STC Centima sheet had 50% more cotton content than the industry standard T180 sheet and consistently maintained the higher cotton content ratio throughout the trial. Mullens Burst: The test results indicated that it took the STC Centima sheet 71% more washings than the industry standard T180 sheet to achieve the end-of-life Mullens Burst value of 141 lbs. Product Quality Survey: On average, the Centima sheet from Standard Textile scored 83% higher than the T180 sheet in all areas. Cost-Per-Use: The STC Centima sheet has a lower total cost-per-use than the industry standard T180 sheet. In summary, the sheeting product trial revealed Standard Textile s Centima sheet is a higher quality product that provides a higher end user satisfaction at a lower cost per use over the life of the product. 6