^{GVR Latitude – Fuel Dispensing Solution | 2021}

Designers: Chandrashekhar Wyawahare, Futuring Design, Pune, India

Manufacturer: Gilbarco Veeder Root

Introduction: Fuel stations are at a sweet spot between robust industrial platforms and highly user-centric consumer products. On one hand, they must fulfil the exacting global regulations of safety, maintenance, and repairs while they address the increasing demand for sophisticated user interface from stakeholders. Latitude is a futureproof fuel dispensing solution designed based on extensive research and feedback from all stakeholders (Fuel retailers, technicians, attendants, and end consumers) across high growth markets. It is designed to keep pace with changing technology and customer expectations.

The modular and scalable design of Latitude allows customers to stay relevant and brings flexibility to their businesses. In the words of Khaleej times, ‘Latitude is set to exceed expectations at every step of customer journey.”
 
Design Innovation:While creating Latitude, we revisited many industry conventions and questioned them from the user point of view. This helped us fundamentally redefine features to make them relevant and beneficial to the users.

1. Lighted canopy creates a safe environment by creating pools of light and guides drivers to the next available dispensing bay.
2. At attended fuel stations, user experience is influenced by its trustworthiness. The tilt in fuel dispenser display reduces glare and makes it easy to read for the vehicle drivers from inside their vehicles.

3. Hose management: Serpentine hoses lying all over the floor is a safety hazard at fuel service stations. Due to its fail proof yet easily retractable hose storing mechanism, Latitude enhances safety and tidiness of the service station.

4. Unavailability of fuel dispensers due to repair or maintenance is a major challenge faced by service stations. Our studies showed dismantling, accessing, and reassembling serviced parts causes delays, leading to higher downtime and longer unavailability. Our innovation was to cluster the most critical components into one Control Display Module. This ensured one-stop access to all electronics reducing downtime and improving throughput.

5. Availability of stable power is a major challenge to Customers, we made it ours.
Latitude addresses this pain point with its Unique Powersafe™ Electronics (Patent Pending) reducing downtime and service calls.

6. Latitude positions attendant interface components at an ergonomic height and location. The ergonomic positions have been determined after researching the average demographic height of the market.
 
Appropriate Aesthetics: We used simple structures and clean design to create a form which makes the users' life easy and uncomplicated. The dispensers have a modern but friendly form and an inviting stance. Even for the novice users the simple design of the dispenser aids them in the actions they need to take to fulfil a task.

The modern, uniform design platform has been crafted to create an engaging experience that drives forecourt traffic, fosters loyalty, and grows with the business.
 
The Elegant Form, the canopy structure, visually light and the uniquely angled design of the display is very recognizable, welcoming, and distinct while significantly improving the refueling efficiency. The design has resonated extremely well across the globe and is seen as future ready by our customers and users. Latitude’s futuristic looks and performance received a prestigious endorsement when ENOC (wholly owned by Government of Dubai) chose it for its Service station of the future at Dubai Expo 2020, the world’s first LEED Platinum Certified Fuel Station.
 
The free-floating gull-wing light at the top of the dispenser uses warm light to illuminate the forecourt ceiling as well as the ground. This enhances the overall visibility of the station while boosting its image of safety to promote customer drive-ins. The color changing status bar detail communicates different status of the dispenser such as availability and fueling status. All design elements down to the inclined interactive displays are defined with soft radii and elegant proportions which contribute to the overall inviting impression.
 
Benefit to user:

Since Latitude is designed for attendant serviced markets, there are two user touchpoints we kept in mind while designing the solution:

Attendants

• Hydraulic stack height has been optimized to achieve anthropometrically correct nozzle docking and removal height. Other features like angled nozzle boot for ergonomic access, nozzle guards to safeguard them from dust while eliminating scuffing of front panel resulting in superior longevity.

• Our research revealed that majority of attendants complain about fatigue. Latitude fuel dispenser positions attendant interface components at an ergonomic height and location, allowing attendants perform hundreds of operations smoothly.

• Latitude’s Hose management system allows extension and automatic retraction. This increases attendant safety and eliminates hose drag extending the life of the hose.

• Floating control display module creates a see-through space that enables attendants to monitor more than one dispenser at any given time. This also facilitates eye contact between attendants and attendants with forecourt manager.

End customers

• Carefully curated design features like lit canopy, speedy refueling, multimedia screen create a pleasing user experience for drivers at the station.

• Bright backlight with big, bold letters displays money-volume information clearly even in broad daylight.

• Hose exits placed at the periphery ensure that they are well away from display and there is no visual blockage for the customer. Having the shift counter on the side surface of the display box reduces distraction and aids focus on display.

• A large multimedia screen welcomes and engages customers. Clear fuel grade information reduces wrong grade fueling incidents at the station.

Benefit to society:
1. Roads are lifelines of the nation. By improving the uptime of the fuel dispensers and by providing a safe environment for vehicle drivers, Latitude aids smooth and efficient road transport day and night, throughout all seasons.

2. Latitude uses automotive press sheet metal technology to reduce the energy required for fabrication. These parts are easy to dismantle and recycle.

3. Low power LEDs used on Latitude facilitate lower energy consumption without compromising its visual appeal. At the same time provide guidance for traffic management at the fuel station.

4. Reducing carbon footprint was a major consideration in the design of Latitude. Optimization of product height allows all Latitude variants to be packed in standard twenty feet containers leading to logistical efficiency.

5. Latitude’s unique display design allows drivers to view the display from the car without the need to get out of the car which helps in faster fueling throughput and lesser fuel wastage of the vehicles waiting for their turn at the dispenser.
 
Benefit to Brand:

1. Our research showed that visual appeal of the stations evokes a feeling of trust and reliability amongst drivers. Latitude’s modern design coupled with convenience features yields more drive-ins, more business.

2. By providing built-in lighting, Latitude augments fuel station lighting thus providing an atmosphere of safety and liveliness.

3.    With an option to choose from multiple models and configurations, Latitude series offers stations the freedom to scale and future-proof fuel stations.

4. Multimedia screen creates an engaging window to welcome, inform and enhance customer experience.

5. Opti-flow hydraulics with improved suction performance ensure that stations can dispense from deeper tanks and unlock deadstock inventory. This also allows the use of larger filters (reducing service calls) without reducing fuelling speed.

6. Security of assets is of great concern to station owners. Latitude’s unique security features such as Electromechanical totalizer, encrypted communications, Secure Pulser makes it resistant against tampering, allowing owners to focus on customer experience.

7. Our research showed dismantling, accessing, and reassembling serviced parts causes delays, leading to longer queues and drive-offs. Ease of access provided to commonly serviced components makes servicing easier and safer for technicians.

8. Latitude provides a larger surface area for customer communication and branding. This goes a long way in building trust & strong brand recall.

9. Nozzle boot with shroud protects the nozzle from dust and rain improving serviceability while enhancing fueling experience. This also facilitates guided entry and withdrawal of the nozzle thereby avoiding scuffing of the branding panels.