Case Study In the Automated Truck Washing Business - How Have Computers Changed the Game?
One of the first industries to move into robotics besides the manufacturing industry was the carwash industry.
In fact a carwash is set up just like an assembly-line however instead of making cars, it is merely cleaning them.
It's simple to grasp that concept, and I thought I'd share that with you before I explain how this is also changing the truck washing industry, specifically, all these new high-tech automated washes out there.
Okay so let's talk about this for second shall we? Did you know that today there are automated wash systems for trucks that read an RFID tag which is on the dashboard of the truck, and it records that data, and makes a notation on the customer's bill at the end of the month.
It's true, these systems exist, and best of all no one has to do a thing, once the system is set up.
If the customer of the truck decides that he only wants those vehicles cleaned every two weeks, and the driver takes it in too often, the truck wash will not start when that RFID tag shows up before the next allowable time period - the RFID tag assigned to that truck gives it away.
Consider if you will how labor-intensive some of the truck washes are in our country, often they might have 20 employees for a two bay wash.
Now, one attendant can wash an unlimited number of trucks cleaning full semi-trucks in 10 under 10 minutes.
In fact, you could have a line of semi's and washing system will just keep going and going and going.
Now that these new computer systems that give the customer an itemized bill, and keep track of every unit washed, the truck washing mechanism theoretically could run without even an attendant.
Now then, that is certainly a lot of productivity for one machine, with no people isn't it? The same truck wash might have a customer rewards program for owner operator truck drivers.
After the 10th wash, the truck driver gets one for free.
The system knows how many times that truck has been through, and when the free one is coming up.
In fact, it just might give him the green light, and not even ask him to slide his credit card, or if he is billed monthly, it will show an itemized invoice with the free wash listed.
Computers have revolutionized every business, and robotics have been around a long time in the washing industry, but the combination is a deadly advancement for productivity, and a scary thought for human labor.
Now, they won't even need an attendant.
Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
In fact a carwash is set up just like an assembly-line however instead of making cars, it is merely cleaning them.
It's simple to grasp that concept, and I thought I'd share that with you before I explain how this is also changing the truck washing industry, specifically, all these new high-tech automated washes out there.
Okay so let's talk about this for second shall we? Did you know that today there are automated wash systems for trucks that read an RFID tag which is on the dashboard of the truck, and it records that data, and makes a notation on the customer's bill at the end of the month.
It's true, these systems exist, and best of all no one has to do a thing, once the system is set up.
If the customer of the truck decides that he only wants those vehicles cleaned every two weeks, and the driver takes it in too often, the truck wash will not start when that RFID tag shows up before the next allowable time period - the RFID tag assigned to that truck gives it away.
Consider if you will how labor-intensive some of the truck washes are in our country, often they might have 20 employees for a two bay wash.
Now, one attendant can wash an unlimited number of trucks cleaning full semi-trucks in 10 under 10 minutes.
In fact, you could have a line of semi's and washing system will just keep going and going and going.
Now that these new computer systems that give the customer an itemized bill, and keep track of every unit washed, the truck washing mechanism theoretically could run without even an attendant.
Now then, that is certainly a lot of productivity for one machine, with no people isn't it? The same truck wash might have a customer rewards program for owner operator truck drivers.
After the 10th wash, the truck driver gets one for free.
The system knows how many times that truck has been through, and when the free one is coming up.
In fact, it just might give him the green light, and not even ask him to slide his credit card, or if he is billed monthly, it will show an itemized invoice with the free wash listed.
Computers have revolutionized every business, and robotics have been around a long time in the washing industry, but the combination is a deadly advancement for productivity, and a scary thought for human labor.
Now, they won't even need an attendant.
Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
Source...