WMF Group launches digital revolution in the coffee machine industry
Geislingen/Steige – Coffee excellence meets digital solutions: The WMF Group is at the forefront of digitalisation in the coffee machine sector with the as-standard networking of professional coffee machines. This technology creates transparency for the operators of coffee machines and allows them to get the maximum out of their coffee business.
The Internet of Things and networked products have long been part of our everyday lives, and now digitalisation is entering the world of catering. The coffee business is booming all over the world, and data on the consumption and status of a coffee machine harbour enormous business potential for the operator. “Our new “WMF CoffeeConnect” and “Schaerer Coffee Link” digital solutions for the WMF and Schaerer brands of our professional coffee machine business give our customers a nearly real-time, accurate overview of the most popular drinks and the quality at which they are prepared,” explains Johan Van Riet, President Global Business Unit Professional Coffee Machines at the WMF Group.
The coffee machine can now continuously report its status and provide information on whether a bean container is empty, cleaning is required or that the machine will soon be in need of maintenance. With the help of a dashboard which can be accessed via an Internet browser on any smart device, operators of hotels, restaurants, cafés, bakeries and petrol stations have a clear overview of all the information they need and can prevent any potential issues at peak times such as breakfast. At the same time, targeted advertising campaigns can be pushed by headquarters for specific coffee specialities, such as latte macchiato, on the coffee machine display in order to increase sales.
From coffee machine manufacturer to digital service provider
“As the market leader for professional fully-automatic coffee machines, we have extensive coffee expertise. We are now at the forefront of the digital movement in the coffee machine industry and are the first manufacturer to make our new coffee machine models IoT-compliant as standard,” explains Van Riet.
Customers thus have access to a multi-level model for analysing the data: In the “Freemium version”, the basic functions on status and consumption are available free of charge. The chargeable Premium versions allow the generation of individual reports and more in-depth analyses. Depending on the requirements, further systems, such as payment systems, can also be integrated via interfaces. WMF Group IT experts and business analysts from the WMF Group can also support the operators of professional coffee machines in analysing their data and give advice on the optimisation of their individual business model. “This means we are no longer merely a manufacturer of coffee machines, we are also extending our business to cover digital services. We are the first in the industry to offer this kind of comprehensive technical functionality and in-depth consultancy,” continues Van Riet.
Focus on data protection
Data protection and data security are top priorities at the WMF Group. This is why a state-of-the-art platform has been developed for the digital solutions “WMF CoffeeConnect” and “Schaerer Coffee Link” whose technical infrastructure, information security and data protection are based on international legal standards such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ISO/IEC 27001) for information security.
Coffee expertise since 1927
The roots of the professional coffee machine division of the WMF Group date back to the year 1927. What began with metal goods factory Straub & Schweizer in Geislingen an der Steige is now the symbol of innovative strength, product and service quality and design understanding. With the two brands WMF and Schaerer, the WMF Group is the global market leader for professional fully-automatic coffee machines, and offers the right coffee solution for every catering concept, from specialities such as cappuccino and latte macchiato with perfect milk froth to traditional filter coffee. The company has always led the way in terms of innovation, with over one hundred patents in the coffee machine sector.
About the WMF Group
For more than 160 years, the brands that make up the WMF Group have stood for the best in cooking, drinking and dining. Every day, more than 100 million people around the world use products from WMF, Silit and Kaiser to prepare, cook, bake, eat and drink in their homes. And when they are not doing that, they are enjoying coffee specialities and foods prepared by the hotel and catering industry using WMF, Schaerer or Hepp products. Our employees are passionate about bringing people together, whether at home, on the move or at fine-dining establishments, in order to give them shared moments that are both precious and delicious. All this with products which have outstanding design, perfect functionality and excellent quality to make every culinary experience a real joy. Our business has a long tradition, having been founded in Geislingen an der Steige in 1853, and has been part of the French Groupe SEB since the end of 2016.
Contact person for companies:
WMF Group
Stefan Kellerer
Group Spokesman | Vice President Corporate Group Communications
Phone +49 7331 258268
zrqvn@jzs.pbz