The company's partnership with TRACKER follows the acquisition of the original Coffee Nation gourmet coffee vending solution by the Whitbread group, which re-launched it as Costa Express in 2011 and expanded the machine locations from 800 to over 2,700.
Costa Express needs to ensure that its engineers are visible, allowing the best placed staff to attend service calls for the machines. It currently has 60 vehicles fitted with TRACKER Fleet, along with a further 10 battery-powered TRACKER Fleet units used for rental vehicles. TRACKER’s telematics system identifies mobile and stationary vehicles, allowing managers to use engineers more efficiently, rather than just choosing the nearest.
The system incorporates telematic features including Transient Voltage Detection technology, which detects electrical noise to more accurately determine when an engine is running and eliminating false "idling" readings. It also examines driver performance, a growing trend in fleet monitoring, and offers a flexible reporting suite that can be customised to meet the specific needs of each of its customers. TRACKER also offers battery-powered modules to ensure assets which have no built-in power supply, such as mobile units and trailers, can be monitored.
‘Once we realised how quickly the business was growing, we knew we needed TRACKER’s telematics expertise,' explained Matthew McGrath, helpline advisor project support at Costa Express.
‘With the units from TRACKER we can quickly identify the location of our field-based teams. This helps our engineers attend sites to ensure that the machines are trading to our high standards. The telematics data means we can accurately say where our engineer or Brand Excellence Advisor is. This allows us to prioritise visits and calls, ensuring a seamless level of service across our growing network.
‘TRACKER’s team offers us the support we need to tailor the system to our business, reacting quickly and resolving any issues to ensure we’re always getting the best out of the telematics units. We’ve also had excellent training, allowing us to get to grips with the system and stay in control of our fleet. This partnership with TRACKER is essential to ensure we can sustain and manage the growth of Costa Express,’ he added.