Dive Brief:
- The Houston Airport System has introduced sensor-enabled period product dispensers from Aunt Flow, integrated with Trax Analytics’ software that enables live data monitoring, at its George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.
- Each product dispenser has roughly two battery-operated and laser-based sensors that can send data through a palm-sized gateway inside the restroom closet, enabling custodial employees to remotely monitor fill levels on organic cotton pads and tampons in real time, Trax Analytics Founder and CEO Tracy Davis said in an interview. This connected smart restroom system has been installed in over 60 restrooms across both airports as part of a pilot phase, she noted.
- This system “puts custodial employees in the driver’s seat,” providing predictive analytics that can be used to determine when these dispensers need to be refilled, rather than monitoring those supplies manually and walking to an inventory closet that is far away to refill the dispensers, Liliana Rambo, chief terminal officer for the Houston Airport System, said in an interview.
Dive Insight:
In recent years, airports have been investing heavily in upgrading their restrooms to integrate technology and create more inclusive facilities. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Punta Gorda Airport in Florida and Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota will use a portion of funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law for their restroom projects, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Oakland International Airport in Northern California was recently granted $10 million for a restroom renovation program that would involve installing high-efficiency low water-use fixtures, creating gender-neutral facilities and adding a lactation suite.
The Houston Airport System, which is Aunt Flow’s first client in the airport vertical, is helping to pave the way for more inclusive facilities through its fully connected washrooms, which now includes period products, Aunt Flow Founder and CEO Claire Coder told Facilities Dive.
Other restroom improvement measures the Houston Airport System is undertaking include its search for contractors to upgrade existing restrooms and janitor closets in George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal A, restrooms near multiple gates at airport’s Terminal D and restrooms along the terminal’s sterile corridor and a janitor’s closet on its mezzanine level.
As part of its partnership with Aunt Flow and Trax Analytics, the airport system is shouldering the cost of the dispensers and refills, so that passengers in need can obtain period products free of charge, Rambo said. Aunt Flow’s dispensers cost between $350 and $400 per unit, while the cost to keep them filled annually is roughly $2,500 per year per bathroom for airports, Coder said.
“The apparatus itself is very elementary. It has a knob that dispenses sanitary napkins or tampons when you turn it. And [the sensors] inside the machines count how many pads or tampons are in there,” Rambo said.
The Houston Airport System has been using Trax Analytics’ software to obtain predictive insights for other services, such as bathroom cleaning, since at least early 2018, Rambo said. In the context of the period product pilot program, the real-time data insights Trax Analytics enables predictive analysis that can ensure that the dispensers are promptly and efficiently replenished, eliminating the possibility of passengers and airport guests “encountering empty dispensers and being left without the supplies they need,” according to an April 16 news release.
The Houston Airport System is also taking proactive steps to ensure a continuous supply of high-quality period products, just as with other bathroom necessities like paper towels and toilet paper, per the release. It noted that the implementation of this system “marks a significant leap forward in enhancing passenger comfort” through “thoughtful and inclusive amenities.” Rambo cited plans of expanding the integration to other restrooms to make this amenity part of a restroom standard for individuals who identify as women.
Other airports that have deployed Trax Analytics’ software include LaGuardia International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the analytics firm. The company currently has over 5,000 users including public-facing commercial buildings, stadiums, hospitals and universities, Davis said.
Airports operating Aunt Flow dispensers include Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina, and the Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, Coder said.
