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Web-based fleet management thanks to macio – a Cloudflight company
Real added value in the catering industry thanks to device data
Using a customer portal to reap the benefits of digitalization for a fleet of coffee machines.
The challenge
Generating added value for customers with the help of device data
In an initial pitch in spring 2019, our user interface designers submitted a design with an initially fictitious use case for the visualization of coffee data from coffee machines. A few weeks later, the joint project was launched. In order to determine the desired functionality for the dashboard, we held several workshops in which we developed the necessary requirements with the help of user stories and user story mapping. In a joint research project, we evaluated with our customer how digital coffee data would help the users of Melitta gastronomy machines – both economically and in terms of planning in their daily business.
In the first step, we developed existing user personas and worked out the corresponding use cases. Who will use the customer portal? How exactly? And why in the first place? We follow a user-centric approach in our projects – always with the goal that end users must be able to use the application intuitively and with pleasure so that it represents a real added value for them.
What benefits can digital coffee data bring?
We have developed a customer portal for Melitta Professional that uses meshing infrastructure and processed device data to help gastronomers around the world optimize their business.
Solution
Provide customers with precisely the individual information they need
The development phase started on the basis of the study results. By March 2020, we had implemented all the basic features such as administration, production analysis, and technical monitoring. When this milestone had been reached, the customer portal was gradually optimized and expanded with further sub-features based on feedback. The dashboard has thus now become even more comprehensive and functional.
During this period, we also provided consultation based on our many years of experience with software projects. Together with other service providers, we implemented the forward-looking back end infrastructure – an IoT hub for the central management of all web-based services. Here, micro-services ensure that each feature can run in an optimal environment and with maximum performance.
The data is oriented towards the user. From the owner of a small neighborhood café to the F&B manager of a restaurant and hotel chain. The users of the customer portal are highly diverse and have different requirements and wishes.
Through user-centric development, the dashboard provides precisely the flexibility and customization needed in its use: From the distribution of rights to the provision of accurate data and statistics in order to increase sales to keeping an eye on the status and refill requirements of coffee machines so that they never stand idle unnecessarily. All users can find the data that enables them to make informed decisions.
Our project partners
Melitta
Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions has been a specialist for professional hot beverage preparation in individual and system gastronomy for over 100 years. Its core business is the development, manufacture, and worldwide distribution of fully automatic commercial coffee machines for specialty coffees and filter coffee machines under the Melitta® and Cafina® brands as well as technical customer service and the distribution of coffee, tea, cocoa, and accessories.
macio
macio GmbH is a holistic development partner for software engineering, UI/UX design, and digital transformation. Our consulting services and solutions are always perfectly tailored to the individual needs of our customers from the equipment engineering, mechanical engineering, and medical/laboratory engineering sectors.
