‘The value of a digital solution lies in how it enhances your life’
Schaerer AG continually invests in digitisation and connectivity for its coffee machines to respond to the rapidly changing requirements of its customers’ shopping behaviour and continue its growth course with new business models.
Digital services and an international networking solution for Schaerer AG
- The company, which is part of the WMF Group, has been owned by the French consortium Groupe SEB since 2016
- Number of employees: 450 worldwide, including 330 in Switzerland
- International company headquartered in Zuchwil
- Smart, globally networked coffee machines
- Improved customer experience thanks to predictive maintenance and real-time data analysis
- Adherence to international technical and compliance standards
The innovative Schaerer Coffee Link digital platform, which collates important coffee machine data such as performance comparisons and sales analyses, is integral to the company’s USP. The data allows the company to run operations more efficiently by leveraging remote capabilities and consumption overviews.
Smart, globally networked coffee machines
Schaerer's innovative coffee machines are also integrated into a digital ecosystem that includes customer loyalty programmes and various payment options such as pay per cup. Ensuring the global connectivity of the machines presented a particular challenge. To facilitate worldwide network coverage and the continual exchange of operation, condition and consumption data, Schaerer was required to navigate the often highly complex international roaming regulations. This flexibility has allowed Schaerer to react quickly to changes while adhering to rigorous compliance and technical requirements.
Real-time data analysis
The collected data can also be used to gain important insights that ensure standardised, smooth processes and can predict possible malfunctions or interruptions before they become a problem. “At Schaerer, predictive maintenance is becoming increasingly important. Based on data analyses, we are able to predict when to expect faults with a machine. We can thus react immediately and fix the problem before the machine fails,” explains Sandro Bianchi.
Improved customer experience
The interpretation and expert handling of the data also make it possible for Schaerer to test coffee trends. The latest roasts, different grind sizes and new coffee experiences are tested across 20 machines in Zurich: “We use our field test machines to determine the value of innovative concepts, such as personalised user interfaces or bonus and rating schemes. At the moment, we are testing the mobile payment needs of our end customers and whether our ideas are well received in the real world.
For manufacturing companies like Schaerer, servitisation(opens in new tab) is a key step in evolving from product provider to solution provider. By providing integrated and value-added services in addition to physical products, industrial companies can build long-term customer relationships, diversify their revenues and develop new business models.
