ENOC wins at Ideas.Arabia competition for RFID-enabled ViP fuel retailing service

DUBAI- Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has won the first place in the Technology Category at the Ideas.Arabia International Conference and Exhibition held in Dubai.

ENOC won the award for its innovative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, an idea developed by the ENOC Retail team, and submitted for the Awards by ENOC’s employee suggestion scheme INNOV∞.

As part of enhancing the operational efficiency of ENOC, the company had recently introduced the RFID-based fuel retailing system at ENOC and Emirates Petroleum Product Company (EPPCO) service stations.

ENOC’s new ground-breaking system called ViP (Vehicle Identification Pass) automatically recognises the registered vehicle being fuelled and charges the cost from the registered user’s account. It is now available only for commercial users and fleet owners.

Organised by Dubai Quality Group under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, Ideas.Arabia brought together global experts in Suggestion & Rewarding Schemes to discuss the latest trends and how implementing them can benefit organisations.

Saeed Khoory, Chief Executive Officer of ENOC, said: “Ideas.Arabia is a powerful platform organised by Dubai Quality Group to further strengthen the exchange of ideas and best practices in promoting Employee Suggestion Schemes that contribute long-term value to organisation.

“In line with the vision of Dubai’s leadership to foster all-round organisational excellence, ENOC is committed to promoting continuous innovation among our employees through INNOV∞ and ongoing innovation training programmes and workshops. Our INNOV∞ suggestion scheme has evolved as one of the key initiatives that promote employee engagement enabling employees to proactively provide ideas and suggestions that help enhance operational efficiency.”

After operating for almost one year, INNOV∞ has received over 800 suggestions from across the ENOC Group including the RFID idea proposed by ENOC Retail. With around 40 suggestions fully implemented to date, the scheme has resulted in operational and financial benefits worth around AED 23 million.

Burhan Al Hashemi, ENOC Retail Managing Director and head of the RFiD project team, said: “This is reflected in the RFID-based ViP system that today contributes significantly to enhancing our service delivery for commercial vehicles and fleets. An innovative suggestion by ENOC Retail, it was implemented through teamwork and dedication, making us one of the pioneers in introducing such a path-breaking approach to fuel retailing in the region.”

ENOC’s ViP uses radio-frequency to transfer data from each registered vehicle. It allows users to refuel according to the permitted amount and fuel type allocated for the vehicle, which will further enhance the efficiency of fleet owners in managing their fuel-related book-keeping operations. An electronic chip is installed in vehicles to facilitate quick and accurate transactions.  It also eliminates tedious billing procedures associated with card-based systems.

ENOC Group also underlined its commitment to excellence and innovation as a Gold Sponsor of the conference, which featured the ‘Idea of the Year’ Competition’ to recognise the most significant suggestions implemented by organisations in 2013.