E-Vision Transforms Waste Collection In Mecca With Real-Time Visibility From Xerafy

The City of Mecca selected E-vision to deploy its innovative waste collection solution alongside 15,000 rugged Micro X-II RFID tags from Xerafy activated in the field.

The Saudi Arabian city of Mecca has deployed Xerafy’s Micro X-II RFID tags to successfully manage thousands of waste collection bins. Using Xerafy’s rugged tags and a software solution from E-vision, the city now has real-time visibility into its waste collection activities and vehicle fleet.

Mecca was looking for a way to track the status of waste bins as well as the location of its waste collection vehicles. To better service customers, the city wanted to be able to confirm that each trash bin had been emptied into the collection vehicle, enable automated electronic communications from the trucks to the operations office, and minimize human intervention in data collection activities.

RFID-based waste management solution

Mecca selected the RFID-based waste management solution from Riyadh-based E-vision. The company provided its innovative Waste Collection solution, along with rugged tags from Xerafy, a customized GPS tracking device, and RFID readers from ThingMagic.

Mecca is leveraging several modules of E-Vision’s waste collection software, including complaint management, fleet management, tracking, and other customized services. E-vision also created a communication board to manage the hardware tracking functionality.

“Waste collection is a challenging environment for data collection,” said Tarek Fawaz, Technical Manager at E-vision. “Xerafy has provided us with RFID tags that are uniquely suited to the environment in Saudi Arabia, and that is rugged enough to resist the shock and vibration the waste bins are exposed to.”

Real-time tracking

Mecca and E-vision are developing a new device with a built-in RFID reader to improve data collection and software user interface

Mecca can track which containers have been emptied and when, and can also track and manage its vehicle fleet in real-time. Using the complaints management module, customers and supervisors can record any problems or violations via cellphone app, and submit the issue to the company as well as track and confirm resolution. Managers can also monitor performance and generate a wide variety of reports based on the RFID data.

With the system successfully in operation for nearly three years, Mecca and E-vision are developing a new device with a built-in RFID reader to improve data collection, as well as enhancing the software user interface and redesigning the software architecture in preparation for a transition to cloud hosting.