Drinks are the profit centers of the QSR world, and every location that serves them depends on a stable, uninterrupted CO2 supply. Keeping track of CO2 has historically been a blind spot for QSR operators, made worse when operating multiple locations. Unfortunately, not keeping track can have serious costs, such as a loss of reputation and disappointed customers that go somewhere else.
A telemetry system brings total visibility to this blind spot. Simply put, telemetry watches the quantity of CO2 in the tank through small sensors that measure pressure and weight. The same system can also measure other inventory assets like nitrogen levels and temperature conditions in a freezer or cold storage. The sensor measurement data is sent wirelessly to operators and other assigned stakeholders, and accessed through a user-friendly dashboard, like a favorite app. A system of customizable alerts lets the right people know when actions need to be taken or something is out of the ordinary. Today's telemetry solutions relay readings in real-time, as much as every three minutes so they can catch a problem early on. They are designed and bundled for convenient QSR deployments and can help meet the many challenges that operators face, saving money, reducing stress, and bringing new levels of control and confidence to the running of QSR businesses. Here are five ways how:
No more runouts
It's disappointing for a customer to make the trip, park the car, get in line to order and find out there'll be no soda with that burger right now. Or worse, they get far enough to pour the soda and find that it's flat and undrinkable. There are lots of places for your customers to spend their money. How quickly will they return to one that memorably spoiled their lunch hour, or dinner out with the family?
With a modern telemetry system, you always know how much CO2 is in the tank, and you always know well in advance when it's time to get more. There are no more emergency fees for rush delivery after a runout, and no lost business waiting for deliveries to come.
Save money on deliveries
Even when they're present on the tank — by no means always the case — legacy analog gauges are notoriously imprecise and often out of calibration. You may be too low without knowing it, or you may be topping off too often when you don't need it. What if you could get complete efficiency on the number of fill-ups every quarter? How much would you save over a year? How much would that mean across all your locations?
QSR operators know all about tight margins, so it's important to find economies wherever possible. Being able to streamline CO2 deliveries is a great step. With real-time telemetry, you're always assured of getting the full value of your supply, and you decide when you want the refill — when gas needs and cash flow are in the best alignment for your own business decisions.
Reduce hazardous procedures
Who is responsible for switching to the backup CO2 tank if your main runs low? Have they been adequately trained for that task? Are they capable of making the switch reliably, whenever it's needed? Can you be sure that employee won't be on their day off when the task comes up? Do you need this unpredictable headache — multiplied by your number of locations?
What's called for here is a technology that can know when this switchover is necessary and can accomplish the job by itself. A smart switchover manifold, which you'll find on the best of today's CO2 telemetry systems, does exactly that — safely and reliably. By automating this not-insignificant move, QSR owners lower stress, both for themselves and their employees.
Solve issues before they escalate
Mechanical problems of all kinds are an everyday threat to the QSR. A change in cold room climate means lost inventory and lost business. A leak in the CO2 line means fewer drinks, more deliveries, and lost profit. Many of these problems could be addressed in the early stages before they inflict real damage if they could only be detected. Unfortunately, they are too subtle to be seen or felt before it's too late.
Today's telemetry keeps a real-time watch on gas and other inventory with incredible precision — within a fraction of 1%. This assures QSR owners the ability to spot and alert problems as soon as they start happening — before the damage is done and losses are incurred.
Get control, finally
A stable CO2 supply is just one necessary detail at every QSR location, and all too easy to overlook in the course of daily operations. As we've seen, there are negative consequences when supply isn't managed well, and positive opportunities when it is. Any time you can take something off your plate, you gain time to address your larger business concerns. Any time you can introduce an efficiency, you make more profit.
With real-time telemetry, QSR owners are finally in control of this important detail. They can decide for themselves when a fill-up is called for. Or, if they choose, they can offload that job to their gas supplier, who can automatically schedule deliveries when inventory reaches an agreed-upon level. Some QSR owners like to use the deep insights afforded by modern telemetry, while others just want to leave the job to their supplier.
Either way, it's a non-trivial problem that can be solved easily and completely by practical, cost-effective technologies that every QSR owner should be deploying.
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