WashTec AG is a global leader in car wash technology, serving customers across Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Specializing in high-performance vehicle cleaning systems, WashTec is committed to sustainability, operational efficiency, and customer uptime. With a focus on optimizing water usage and minimizing service disruptions, the company continuously invests in data-driven solutions to improve both internal operations and customer experience while meeting strict regulatory requirements.
To enhance its data infrastructure, WashTec partnered with CData Virtuality to unify its fragmented data landscape and unlock real-time insights. By integrating machine, sensor, and operational data into a single access layer, WashTec reduced data prep time by 50%, enabled predictive maintenance to prevent downtime, and achieved near-100% water recycling in key markets. Additionally, near real-time analytics now support customer-facing dashboards, providing transparency into water consumption, machine status, and operational performance.
The challenge: Managing fragmented data across global operations
WashTec’s data was spread across four separate systems—machine databases, sensor data in JSON format, ticketing databases, and cloud storage systems. Each system stored data differently, requiring manual data extraction, transformation, and reconciliation before insights could be generated. Machine performance data lived separately from maintenance records, and sustainability metrics weren’t readily accessible alongside operational data. This fractured system created workflow bottlenecks and slowed decision-making at every stage.
With a very lean analytics team consisting of just one full-time analytics employee and one employee splitting their duties between two roles, WashTec struggled to manage its complex data infrastructure while delivering the insights needed for business operations. Manually pulling reports from multiple sources, cross-referencing data, and addressing inconsistencies took valuable time away from more strategic initiatives.
Machine uptime was another critical concern. Car wash customers depend on uninterrupted service, and unplanned machine failures disrupt business operations. WashTec needed to predict and prevent failures in components like gearboxes and brushes, but didn’t have real-time connections to machine learning models to predict maintenance.
"We had data coming from multiple sources—machines, sensors, ticketing systems, and cloud storage—but there was no easy way to pull it all together. Everything had to be handled manually, and it slowed us down."
— Diana Scheidt, Data Analytics & Data Management Expert, WashTec
The solution: A central data layer to unify data sources
The manual processes to integrate its fragmented data were slow, error-prone, and ultimately unsustainable for the team. Coordinating the integration of these sources by hand limited the analytics team’s ability to focus on higher-value initiatives.
WashTec needed a more sustainable solution and began evaluating data integration platforms. After researching its options, the team chose CData Virtuality for its ability to create a single access layer that seamlessly connects all data sources. With centralized access, WashTec’s Analytics team could pull real-time data from machines, sensors, and service logs, eliminating delays caused by manual reconciliation.
Predictive maintenance was critical to ensuring machine uptime for customers. By integrating real-time machine and sensor data with Dataiku, an artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) platform, WashTec created a data pipeline that allowed machine learning models to detect performance anomalies and predict equipment failures in advance.
Sustainability tracking was another key priority. With Virtuality, WashTec’s analytics team could consolidate water recycling metrics—including oxygen, ammonium, and temperature data—into a single, near real-time view. This enabled the resource-conscious company to monitor its compliance more effectively and actively find ways to optimize water usage.
CData Virtuality with Exasol Database Analytics also gave WashTec the ability to create interactive dashboards for its customers that provided real-time visibility into water consumption, machine performance, and operational efficiency, allowing them to make proactive adjustments, optimize costs, and improve their overall experience with WashTec’s car wash systems.
Virtuality also enabled WashTec to expand its analytics capabilities, supporting wash capacity predictions and chemical supply monitoring. This would allow customers to plan resources more efficiently, ensuring they had exactly what they needed, significantly reducing the potential for waste.
"Predictive maintenance became a reality once we could integrate machine and sensor data directly with Dataiku. Now, we can identify potential failures before they happen and take action."
— Diana Scheidt, Data Analytics & Data Management Expert, WashTec
The outcome: Real-time data drives efficiency, sustainability, and customer success
With CData Virtuality providing WashTec with the insights it needed, the company transformed its data operations, including accessible real-time insights, more efficient equipment maintenance, and stronger sustainability initiatives.
By unifying fragmented data sources, WashTec cut data preparation time by 50%, allowing its small analytics team to focus on higher-value initiatives instead of manual data alignment. Instead of spending time extracting, cross-referencing, and correcting inconsistent reports, the team could now access reliable, real-time data instantly.
Predictive maintenance became a reality. With real-time machine data feeding into Dataiku, WashTec could detect potential gearbox and brush failures before they happened. This proactive approach reduced downtime for customers, ensuring their car wash operations ran smoothly without unexpected interruptions.
WashTec also made major strides in sustainability. With water recycling rates near 100 percent in several large markets, the company greatly improved regulatory compliance and resource conservation. Real-time tracking of oxygen, ammonium, and temperature levels provided the accuracy needed to optimize water usage and reduce waste.
Beyond the benefits to its internal operations, WashTec also enhanced customer experience and operational transparency. New customer-facing dashboards offered real-time visibility into water consumption, machine performance, and efficiency metrics, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions about their operations. Additionally, wash capacity predictions and chemical supply monitoring helped customers plan more efficiently, ensuring they had the right resources without unnecessary waste.
With CData Virtuality, WashTec built a scalable, future-proof data infrastructure that supports its commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and customer success.
"The integration into our digital platform was a game-changer for our internal customers, such as service, R&D, and product. They could now see water usage, machine performance, and efficiency metrics in real time without needing to dig through reports."
— Diana Scheidt, Data Analytics & Data Management Expert, WashTec
CData Virtuality: Reliable data integration without the hassle
CData Virtuality gives organizations like WashTec a central data access layer that seamlessly integrates live data from multiple sources, eliminating manual effort and accelerating business operations. With seamless access to live data from multiple sources, companies can drive efficiency, enhance predictive analytics, and optimize sustainability—all without the cost and complexity of traditional data integration.
