How to integrate a tire size scanner
Lukas Moshuber
Product Manager at Anyline
The tire industry has many facets, from manufacturing to distribution and maintenance operations. Many people and companies offer different services and perform a variety of jobs to take a tire from its production to its use and aftermath.
But while the jobs may differ, the data on the sidewall of each tire can be used by everyone throughout the industry. In this blog, we will focus on the tire size number and how tire companies can integrate a tire size scanner in their processes.
What is a tire size scanner?
A tire size scanner uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to capture data directly from the tire sidewall, and digitize it in an instant. Anyline’s tire size scanner can be used on every mobile device that is equipped with a camera, such as a smartphone, ruggedized device or even some TPMS devices.
The benefits of a tire size scanner can be enormous for tire dealers:
- It’s fast – a tire technician can scan the tire size of each set of tires in a few seconds.
- It’s accurate – a tire scanner won’t make the mistakes a technician will eventually do. The tire size code is scanned precisely and can be verified by the technician by comparing it to a photo before validation.
- It’s digitized – with a tire size scanner, the data is directly digitized and can be sent to the garage system or database. It doesn’t require technicians or employees to type in the information, which would be an additional risk for mistake and a waste of their time.
Why companies need a tire size scanner
There are different reasons for companies to need a tire size scanner, depending on how they use the data.
Tire retailers can make better offers to customers
Tire retailers can use a tire size scanner to send tailor-made offers to their customers and increase both customer satisfaction and loyalty. With the right information at their disposal, it becomes much easier to foresee replacement opportunities, and with the tire size code, they are able to select models of tires that are a perfect fit for the customer’s vehicle.
It translates into an offer that is well timed, and well targeted. And not only that, it also shows customers that their tire dealer or service provider knows exactly what they are looking for and when they are looking for it. It builds up a solid relationship and improves customer satisfaction along the way.
It improves traceability for tire hotels
It’s vital for tire hotels to clearly identify each tire that comes in. Usually, a sticker is printed and stuck on the tread facing outward so it’s easy to read, and a barcode can then be scanned to verify which tire belongs to whom.
Tires and cars have the advantage of presenting many types of information that can be used for identification and verification: DOT code, tire size, VIN and license plate. Put together, this data can help identify tires better, helping to verify if tires are matching (if stickers have been misplaced), and confirming if the person getting the tires back is the person that gave them to be stored 6 months before.
It makes online sales easier
When buying tires online, customers may not know how to read their own tire correctly. This leads to high levels of cart abandonment, where shoppers begin their order, but don’t make the purchase because they are afraid of buying the wrong tires.
A tire size scanner gives them peace of mind when purchasing tires online, as they won’t have to worry about making mistakes and ordering the wrong product.
For tire online dealers, benefits are also tangible:
- There will be less wrong orders, which means that less tires will be returned by customers, reducing logistics costs and stress.
- Customer satisfaction will increase, as the overall experience becomes less stressful
- More customers will be inclined to purchase tires online if they feel like they will get it right.
Integrate a tire size scanner to your existing processes
Integration to your app
Anyline’s software development kit (SDK) allows you to integrate a tire size scanner in your existing apps – whether they are destined to be used by your workforce or by your customers. A few lines of code are enough to add this scanning feature to your existing process, and it works with iOS, Android and UWP, as well as it uses the common frameworks that are Xamarin, Cordova, and React Native.
Integration to your e-commerce website
You can integrate a tire size scanner in your e-commerce website, as Anyline’s technology supports JavaScript. It’s as easy as integrating it to an app or other processes you use, and it allows your customers to use their smartphones or tablets to scan tire size when browsing your website.
Integration to your workforce device
In addition to giving you the ability to integrate a tire size scanner to apps and websites, Anyline’s SDK also makes it possible to scan tire size using the devices retailers and mechanics already use. It’s possible to integrate this solution to TPMS tools and ruggedized devices, so there is no need to invest in new devices to start scanning your tires!
