«Thanks to the world’s best network coverage, we are ready.»

Machines that make the perfect cup every time – nothing less will do. To achieve this, the company relies on networked machines, which automatically collect and exchange important information via eSIM cards. The data is sent to the mobile network by roaming and displayed on a central dashboard. Smart coffee machines indicate when the coffee beans and milk need refilling or when the next service is due, for example.

The company sells its machines in almost every continent and therefore needs a flexible, global solution with stable network coverage. “The international market is very challenging and complex, and we are constantly being confronted with new requirements. Each country has its own mobile communication regulations, especially with regard to data roaming. With Swisscom’s solution, we can react flexibly to short-term changes while still adhering to the stringent compliance and technical requirements,” explains Sandro Bianchi, Product Manager Digital Solutions at Schaerer. It was not only the extreme flexibility of the eSIM solution that won him over, but also the possibility of opening up new markets, such as the recent expansion into China for instance, which made Swisscom the ideal IT partner.

Thanks to the world’s best roaming coverage, Swisscom’s IoT solution enables the company to expand into other markets, while also helping to cut servicing costs and reduce its carbon footprint. Whereas, in the past, a service engineer would have to repair a fault on site, it will soon be possible for machines to be serviced remotely.

The collected data can also be used to gain important insights that ensure standardised, smooth processes and can predict possible malfunctions or interruptions even before they become a problem. “At Schaerer, predictive maintenance is becoming increasingly important. Based on data analyses, we are now able to predict when to expect faults with a machine. This allows us to react immediately and fix the problem before the machine fails,” explains Sandro Bianchi.

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, as Sandro Bianchi describes: “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. This helps us to increase customer loyalty, improve satisfaction and recognise very early in the process which new ideas resonate with our customers, and which do not. It also ensures a consistently high quality and, most importantly, that the coffee tastes good.”

The use of Swisscom's eSIM solution is just the beginning: Schaerer plans to expand existing interfaces even further to offer its customers even more flexibility.