The Frigidaire Laundry Division of Webster City, IA, builds free-standing washers, dryers and laundry centers. With customers like General Electric, Sears, and Montgomery Ward, Frigidaire's products must be top-notch. When Frigidaire could not get consistent color readings on suppliers' samples, they were concerned. When they started asking suppliers to resubmit samples due to color variation, they knew it was time to find a new color measurement system. Due to the variety of components on the washers and dryers, the system had to be versatile enough to check different materials, and give accurate, numerical measurements. Frigidaire decided on the Minolta Model CM-503-I portable spectrophotometer. It is used to check color on prepainted coil for side panels; trim plates, which are coated with ink; and various plastics for endcaps and knobs. The system is also utilized for inspection of incoming materials, sample approval, and for the gathering and analysis of defective purchased materials.