Interview with Sam Geissbühler

A versatile eye-catcher

New design, new user interface, new equipment options - the newly launched Schaerer Coffee Soul with "Select" concept is the further development of the Schaerer Coffee Soul, which was successfully launched in 2017. In this interview, Product Manager Sam Geissbühler gives us a look behind the scenes of the development process.

When did development of the original Schaerer Coffee Soul, predecessor of the new Select concept model, begin?

We started the project back in 2012. The aim was to develop a successor to the Schaerer Coffee Art, which has been successfully established on the market for many years, and ultimately replace it at some point. Our work focussed on a concept for a standardised machine platform. From the outset, this was to have everything needed to develop model variants for three performance levels. As the name suggests, the "Basic" variant was intended as a standard model. "Large" was aimed at customers with a higher beverage demand of over 250 cups per day. Finally, the "High End" version was to be highly automated and capable of configuring itself independently. Ideas like these show how much the company was already thinking about the future at that time - even if some things could not yet be realised.

How was the time after the market launch? Have all expectations of the new machine been met?

After its launch, the machine was particularly successful in the Asian markets. Some of our key customers in this region ordered large quantities directly and by the end of 2019 we had already sold around 20,000 models. This is an excellent figure for a fully automatic machine that had been available for less than three years at that time. However, we were not surprised, as the advantages of the Schaerer Coffee Soul are obvious: it is more compact than the Schaerer Coffee Art, offers comparable performance and even costs less.

Feedback from the market is crucial
However, as we did not yet see the machine's potential fully utilised, particularly in area sales, we collected a lot of feedback from customers and partners. One of the most frequent responses was the desire for more customising options in order to be able to design the machines more individually at low cost. Feedback also indicated that the touchscreen should be redesigned - the user interface, like the machine itself, was very dark. Although some of our customers perceived this as elegant, many wanted something more colourful.

Standing still means going backwards
This feedback from the market ultimately prompted us to further develop the Schaerer Coffee Soul comprehensively just three years after its market launch. We therefore refer to it as a further development rather than a new development, as the platform described at the beginning has proven itself in intensive field use over the past few years and therefore continues to be the centrepiece of the machine. However, we have completely rethought the Schaerer Coffee Soul in terms of the design, the display and the technical and visual customisation options.

What was the concept behind the new design?

It was important to us that the new Schaerer Coffee Soul stands out, that it becomes an eye-catcher, so to speak. We were particularly inspired by the requirements of the self-service sector. In petrol stations or convenience stores, the machines often stand between full, colourful shelves and garish signs - a striking design is important here in order to be noticed at all. For this reason, we decided in favour of an asymmetrical design. Everything fits into this concept, from the lighting to the off-centre display and the striking design elements. The latter also stand out with their rich colours. While the parts of the Schaerer Coffee Soul 10 are currently available in red, the Schaerer Coffee Soul 12 shines in an elegant copper colour.

More individuality - more freedom
In the coming year, optional variants in pastel green, brown and black will also be available. Each customer can then customise the machine so that it fits perfectly into the ambience of their shop. In terms of the user interface, we also opted for a brighter redesign.

Bathed in the right light
With the LED lighting elements, we were also able to realise another design idea that had been on our minds for a long time. Back in 2004, we experimented with a lighting concept and individual, coloured cladding for the Schaerer Coffee Celebration. In this respect, the machine was clearly ahead of its time. The idea also came up again during the development process of the original Schaerer Coffee Soul, but was initially not pursued further for cost reasons. However, customer feedback made it clear to us that there was great demand and increasingly economical production processes have caused the price of LEDs to fall rapidly in recent years. When the machine was redesigned, lighting elements were ultimately a must.

Can the different colours and machine models be freely combined?

Yes, this is entirely in keeping with our "Mix & Match" principle. The slogan "Mix your options & Match your style" stands for the fact that the exterior can be customised very freely to suit individual ideas. In addition to the design elements, this applies in particular to the so-called "splash zone" on the spout, which is available in different materials, and the display, which is available in two different sizes. However, whether a customer opts for the 10.4-inch or 12.1-inch screen does not depend solely on visual preferences.

Mix & Match

The "Mix & Match" principle also includes the idea of technical flexibility with "Mix your Options". What has changed here with the new Schaerer Coffee Soul compared to the previous model?

The first Schaerer Coffee Soul already offered customers many technical customisation options. Among other things, the number of bean containers could be varied or the "Hot & Cold" system for cold coffee specialities integrated. All of this is of course still possible. However, the new Schaerer Coffee Soul offers even more options thanks to the "Select" concept.

The innovation carousel keeps on turning

For example, an optional third grinder and the innovative "Twin Milk" technology mean that an even wider range of beverages can now be offered. In addition - and this is ultimately what makes this concept so unique - the technical equipment and design can be combined independently of each other. Another new feature is the touchless outlet (automatically height-adjustable spout). This guarantees that the drink lands in the cup, mug and glass without splashing and with maximum hygiene.

You just mentioned the "Twin Milk" technology. What's it all about?

Thanks to the "Twin Milk" technology, coffee specialities with two different types of milk can be offered in one machine. The corresponding drinks are simply stored in the machine software and prepared fully automatically by touching the display. Being able to offer this option is important for us in two respects: on the one hand, there is great demand for reduced-fat milk and whole milk in some markets, such as Australia. On the other hand, there is a global trend towards plant-based milk alternatives - these products also pose no problem for our milk system, although we do recommend certain manufacturers for optimum results.

Other countries, other wishes

By the way: It is also interesting for us to see that other equipment technologies are particularly successful in certain markets and sectors. Hot & Cold" technology is extremely popular in Asia, for example, where cold coffee specialities are a huge topic. However, we are convinced that this trend will also become increasingly relevant in Europe. In the future, further technical equipment options will be added to the new Schaerer Coffee Soul, which we are looking forward to. This year, for example, a module for mobile payment will be available, which can be used to integrate various payment providers.

The topic of the user interface was mentioned earlier: What specific changes have there been here? Are they just visual or also functional?

As already mentioned, the look was particularly important to us. Our old user interface was very dark, which is common in the industry. We deliberately wanted to stand out from this with bright, colourful elements. The new display gives us much more scope for this thanks to its higher resolution, colour brilliance and the ability to play videos. A lot has also changed on the software side. Integrating new graphics is easier than ever before, and visual customisations can be implemented very efficiently. For the first time, this also allows us to provide customers with a customised user interface in an uncomplicated and inexpensive way. At our last trade fair appearance, where we presented the new user interface, we received very positive feedback.

User-friendly in any environment

In addition to the visual appearance, we had a clear focus in terms of user guidance: it should be orientated towards the three typical application areas of "classic self-service", "regular users" and "operation by staff". In guest mode, even a customer who is using the machine for the first time must be able to use it immediately. When operating the touchscreen, they are guided step by step through the process of putting together their favourite drink. The selection naturally depends on the machine's features. Customers can also be informed directly about specific products or promotions via image and video overlays. For machines that are always used by the same people - for example in an office kitchen - we have created a favourites mode. Here, individual favourite drinks can be stored and quickly called up again. Once you have made your selection, it is still easy to make adjustments.

Is it possible to predict what the most popular configurations of the nine Schaerer Coffee Soul machines will be?

It is important to differentiate between various aspects. Between the two basic models, the Schaerer Coffee Soul 10 and 12, you can assume a distribution of one third to two thirds. As petrol stations and convenience stores are becoming increasingly important for us and the demand for self-service machines is therefore increasing, the variant with the 12.1 inch display will certainly be in greater demand. However, this machine costs more, which could well lead to customers purchasing the smaller version if certain market developments occur. In terms of quality and technology, they don't have to make any compromises. In terms of design and technical features, it is much more difficult to make predictions. In terms of colours, we are already getting very good feedback for the black trim elements that will soon be coming onto the market. Even though many customers are very interested in the colourful options, the simple elegance of black still seems to be very popular.

Beverage variety of the highest quality

The demand for certain equipment options varies from region to region and from sector to sector. as already mentioned, "Hot & Cold" is primarily a topic in Asia, although Europe is slowly following suit. "Twin Milk" is well received almost everywhere, and companies from all over the world are interested. In order to make the technology more attractive for customers with a high volume of guests, we are also offering a larger cooler from this year, which holds ten litres of each of the two types of milk. A machine with three grinders is aimed primarily at customers who want to offer their guests something special. Unusual single-origin coffees are suitable here, for example. In general, all the equipment options of the Schaerer Coffee Soul Select are aimed at providing guests with a greater variety of beverages of the highest quality.