CHICAGO — Remote management has transformed how laundromat owners operate their businesses.

From sales reporting and machine monitoring to employee oversight and customer communication, today’s technology allows operators to stay connected to their stores from virtually anywhere. What once required frequent site visits can now often be handled through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The tools available vary widely. Some focus on machine performance and maintenance alerts, while others emphasize payments, wash-dry-fold operations, customer engagement or staff accountability. Increasingly, owners are combining multiple platforms to gain greater visibility, improve responsiveness and maintain control of their businesses—even when they're away from the store.

Several representatives whose companies offer platforms with remote-management capabilities answered questions from American Coin-Op about best practice.

Suppliers encourage owners to evaluate remote-management solutions carefully. Destiny Klehm, business development specialist for Dexter Laundry, recommends starting with practical questions such as:

• What capabilities are available?
• How easily does the system integrate with payment solutions?
• What ongoing support is provided?
• Are there additional fees?

Mike Hand, a vice president for Alliance Laundry Systems, including the Huebsch brand, says owners should remember they are making an investment, and “Investment should pay dividends.” Ease of use, training and support should all factor into the decision.

Setomatic Systems VP of Sales John Kelly advises owners to focus on the quality of information being provided and ask:

• Is the data easily accessible?
• Is it all in one place?
• Is it presented in real time?
• Is it accurate?

Sivan Salem, senior director of product operations for Cents, recommends asking whether a platform was designed specifically for laundry operations and whether it supports all revenue channels within a single ecosystem.

He also encourages owners to evaluate how the platform interacts with customers.

“The way customers experience your business when you’re not there is your brand,” he says.

Jeffrey Hurant, director of software products for Laundrylux, believes integration deserves particular attention. Owners should understand how the system works with equipment, what reporting capabilities are available, how alerts function and what training is included.

Support should never be overlooked, says Amanda Goebel, marketing business partner for Alliance Laundry Systems and its Speed Queen brand: “A system is only as powerful as the support backing it.”

Steve Marcionetti, president of Card Concepts Inc. (CCI), recommends requesting demonstrations and evaluating how intuitive the system feels in practice.

Owners should first determine what problems they are actually trying to solve, says Matt Simmons, co-founder of Curbside Laundries, because the ideal solution often depends on the operating model.

“Make sure to kick the tires and talk to laundry owners who are using the solution you are interested in,” he adds. “Remember, the best solution is based upon your needs, so do your own research.”

Wash-Dry-Fold POS CEO Ian Gollahon encourages owners to think carefully about accessibility and flexibility. If a system is intended to support remote management, it should truly be accessible remotely.

When asked to recommend a single best practice, suppliers offered different answers, but a common theme emerged: successful operators pay attention.

It’s important that owners understand their employee-management tools thoroughly, according to Gollahon. Knowing whether employees are clocked in, completing tasks and processing orders properly provides valuable insight into store performance.

Kelly recommends reviewing transaction history and revenue data daily: “Being able to track all transactions is crucial.”

Klehm encourages owners to study trends and use them to improve staffing, promotions and operations. Data should always be viewed, says Hand, through the lens of customer experience.

Salem recommends building a daily routine around reviewing key performance indicators: “The best operators aren’t necessarily the ones with the most sophisticated setups. They’re the ones who look at their revenue, machine activity, and orders every single morning, develop a feel for what normal looks like for their business (including how weather and holidays shape it), and notice quickly when something is off.”

Marcionetti advises checking activity shortly after opening to confirm stores are operating as expected.

Goebel offers perhaps the simplest recommendation of all: “Use them.”

Remote-management tools create value only when owners actively engage with the information they provide.

Perhaps the strongest consensus among this article’s contributors is that remote management has crossed an important threshold. What was once considered an optional convenience has become an expected component of modern laundry operations.

“Remote management has crossed from a nice-to-have to an industry expectation,” Salem says.

Centralized access to real-time information gives owners peace of mind while reducing time spent in the store, Kelly notes.

Technology advances quite rapidly and Goebel encourages owners to become familiar with these systems sooner rather than later.

Hand stresses the importance of choosing platforms that are both well-designed and well-supported.

Simmons encourages owners to research solutions carefully and speak with operators already using them to ask about their experiences.

For Gollahon, the value ultimately comes down to flexibility. Owners gain the ability to manage their businesses without being physically tied to them every hour of every day.

Hurant warns that operators who ignore connected-management tools risk falling behind competing laundries where data is used more effectively.

“In 2026, running a self-service laundry without this kind of visibility isn’t just inefficient — it’s a competitive disadvantage,” he says.

Remote management is about more than technology. It’s about visibility, accountability, responsiveness and growth. The dashboards, alerts and reports are simply the tools that make those goals possible.

For today’s laundry operators — especially those planning to expand — the ability to manage more while being there less may be one of the most valuable competitive advantages available.

Miss an earlier part? You can read them here: Part 1 — Part 2 — Part 3