Would radio frequency identification help me manage that process?
—Name withheld
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Gulf States Toyota, a large Toyota distributor based in Houston, Texas, installed an active RFID system from WhereNet, now part of Zebra Enterprise Solutions, to create a solution that tracks cars on its 84-acre lot and speeds up the process of installing optional car equipment. The system cuts costs and keeps Toyota dealers and customers happy (see Active RFID Keeps Toyota Distributor Rolling).
Emirates Motor Co., a member of the Al Fahim Group, the world’s largest Mercedes Benz facility, sought a solution to decrease the amount of time it took to locate vehicles within its 93,000-square-meter service center. Locating vehicles at the facility took between 30 to 45 minutes per car before an RFID-enabled solution was implemented. The firm is using RFID to track vehicles from the time a customer arrives at the active service reception, as well as while that person’s car is being repaired in the service center, and to speed up delivery once work is completed.
The locating of vehicles has been reduced to 5 to 10 minutes per vehicle, thereby increasing technicians’ productivity, efficiency and utilization. The company’s non-productive staff cost has decreased by 25 percent, with an overall increase in customer-satisfaction scores to 95 percent. The firm has produced a video that explains how the system works (view the video).
Emirates Motor Co. worked with technology solutions provider TagStone, which has developed a vehicle-management software platform.
—Mark Roberti, Editor, RFID Journal