Discount Tire adopts mobile tread-depth scanning system

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Technicians at Discount Tire/America's Tire stores throughout the U.S. have begun using a mobile tread-depth reading system developed by Zebra Technologies Corp. that Zebra claims will help increase the techs' productivity and improve the quality of information gathered.

The Zebra system uses an Android-based TC75x mobile computer, a laser-based tire tread-depth reader accessory and DOT code scanning software from Anyline Inc., a Boston-based tech company focused on mobile data capture.

"We pride ourselves on delivering customers the highest quality tire service and products to help keep them safe on the road," Tom Williams, chief experience officer, Discount Tire, said.

"Our new tire inspection solution is a game-changer for our people and will help further our assurance to our customers that we are taking care of their safety by providing the best possible service and most accurate tire readings."

Prior to this, Zebra Technologies said, technicians manually measured as many as 12 different spots for tread depth and used a pen and paper to record each DOT code. With the mobile handheld solution, Discount Tire technicians can complete an assessment typically in under five seconds per tire.

Technicians swipe each tire to check for tread depth and scan the DOT code with the tool's camera in real-time, enabling them to assist more customers, reduce wait times and provide a more positive customer experience, Zebra Technologies said.

Using the TC75x's large display, Discount Tire technicians can show customers the status of their tire tread depth. A color-coded chart indicates the safety levels of the tire tread depth to indicate when new tires are needed.

The mobile solution also integrates with Discount Tire's technology system to help eliminate other paper-based processes, such as automating the creation of customer profiles, Zebra Technologies said.

"Discount Tire is raising the bar with its commitment to customer safety through the use of innovative mobile computing solutions," Joe White, senior vice president and general manager of Enterprise Mobile Computing at Zebra Technologies, said.

"By using this new solution, Discount Tire is providing a performance edge to its technicians, enabling them to deliver better, faster service with visibility and actionable insights to their customers to help provide the safest driving experience."

Discount Tire also is exploring options to leverage Anyline's scan software to read other aspects of a vehicle, such as vehicle identification number (VIN), license plate and other tire-related information.

"Starting today, the most powerful tool in a Discount Tire technician's toolbox is this smart device," Lukas Kinigadner, CEO and Co-Founder of Boston-based Anyline, said.

"With this industry-first solution, Discount Tire is setting a new gold-standard for tire inspections, empowering their workforce to make smarter, data-driven decisions that ensure the highest level of driver safety, and an unrivaled customer experience."

Discount Tire operates over 1,070 retail tire stores in 36 states under the Discount Tire and America's Tire names.