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　challenge

Innovative car wash operators are always looking for new ways to simplify business while improving service. Many people have turned to automated payment systems and used push-type pallets or conveyor-based tunnels for washing to improve the profitability of labor-intensive companies. Many recycle water to reduce costs and be more environmentally sensitive.

One of the latest innovations is unattended, all-round customer vehicle tracking. When used in automated self-service car washes or omni-directional car wash tunnels, automatic vehicle tracking can simplify customer car wash visits, improve customer satisfaction, and eliminate the need for employees to wash the car. By eliminating "greedy" positions, washing operators can reduce labor costs and save money.

Innovative Control System (ICS), a manufacturer of automotive washing and service solutions for North American customers, is leading the industry with automated RFID-based vehicle tracking.

Mike Ruiz, chief information officer of Innovative Control Systems, said: "Service speed is of the essence." RFID tags are a convenience factor. AutoSentry eXP fast payment system automatically reads vehicle tags, so customers don't have to worry about credit card or cash payments. If they get a service, they sit there for a second while the vehicle is identified by its RFID tag, then the door goes up and the customer gets washed.

　Solution

The ICS AutoSentry kiosk has an integrated RFID reader that can identify the RFID tags installed on the windshield of the vehicle. The system automatically knows the services that the vehicle has, uses these services to program the washing equipment, and allows the vehicle to proceed to the washing entrance.

Through the ICS automated full-service customer tracking system, car wash operators can increase revenue by providing RFID tags for fleets and individual customers, thereby automatically tracking customer cleaning services. Operators can provide club plans or prepaid service packages at different price points to ensure consistent income from services that are basically weather-dependent. By tracking vehicle usage, operators can also provide loyal customers with incentives for repeat business. They can also up-sell club customers at the point of sale, which exceeds the additional revenue of prepaid club packages.

ICS uses a special windshield label integrated into the waterproof label. RFID tags and final tags are designed and manufactured by RCD Technology and use Alien Technology Higgs chips. The label is also coated to prevent the influence of sunlight and window cleaners. The tags are designed with RCDSecure tag design with anti-theft protection function, if deleted, they will stop working.

　result

Ruiz initially investigated RFID's automated vehicle tracking in 2005, but concerns about becoming an early adopter led him to OCR license plate recognition. He was dissatisfied with the accuracy of OCR in 2006, and Ruiz re-examined RFID in 2006. "We are surprised at how technological progress is," he said.

ICS has deployed the RFID-based AutoSentry eXP system at five customer locations in North America. Every car wash has hundreds of customers using the system. The income of operators has increased and customers have responded positively. Ruiz said: “Once customers’ vehicles are tagged, they will come back more often.

ICS provides customer support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so low-cost operation and maintenance are the key to profitability. ICS has developed an ideal site layout for installing card readers and positioning the AutoSentry system at the location of the washing operator. ICS technicians can use custom applications that interface with foreign readers to further fine-tune the reader settings for unique environments. ICS also uses Alien gateway software to locate the antenna for maximum reading efficiency.

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