Support system and method for the management of beverages bars in points of sale
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Solution Overview
Problem
Points of sale face challenges in managing the freshness, stock, and presentation of high-rotation products like coffee, where personnel distractions lead to expired products and inefficient task management, with existing systems lacking real-time adaptability and product monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising sensors, a control module, database, and communication modules that dynamically assign tasks based on product expiration, supply provision, and detect container types, using data tags and sensors to monitor temperature, liquid levels, and freshness, enabling automated recipe changes and inventory management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If personnel manually monitor and manage beverages bar products, then product freshness and stock can be maintained, but personnel attention and labor are excessively required
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service monitoring through sensors that automatically detect product levels, temperature, and freshness in display containers without requiring personnel intervention. The sensors continuously monitor the beverages bar and trigger automated alerts when products need replenishment or maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual monitoring and management tasks are replaced by an automated electronic system comprising sensors, processors, and communication modules. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous personnel attention while maintaining reliable product freshness monitoring through automated detection and alerting mechanisms.
2Quantity of substance
If personnel frequently check and refill beverages, then product stock is maintained, but productivity of other tasks decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensors monitor product levels and stock quantities in real-time, automatically transmitting data to the management system. This feedback mechanism ensures product stock is maintained at optimal levels without requiring personnel to frequently check and refill, as the system autonomously tracks and alerts when replenishment is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and detection of product stock levels before actual depletion occurs. By anticipating when products will run out based on continuous sensor data, the system enables proactive replenishment scheduling that does not interrupt personnel workflow or reduce productivity of other tasks.
3Loss of information
If manual tracking of sales and wastage is performed, then inventory records can be kept, but labor complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates and maintains inventory records through self-service data collection from sensors that track sales transactions and product wastage. This eliminates manual tracking requirements and reduces labor complexity while ensuring accurate and up-to-date inventory information is continuously recorded and stored in the database.
4Reliability
If real-time product detection is implemented, then product expiration can be avoided, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Complex manual monitoring for product expiration is replaced by automated sensor systems that continuously detect temperature, time, and product condition. The electronic system processes this data to predict and prevent expiration events, achieving reliable expiration control through automated detection rather than complex manual tracking procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system performs multiple functions simultaneously - monitoring temperature, detecting product levels, tracking freshness, and predicting expiration - all through a single integrated platform. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to separate specialized systems for each monitoring task.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces personnel attention at the beverages bar by ensuring product freshness, automating task assignments, and optimizing inventory through real-time monitoring and dynamic recipe adjustments, thereby minimizing waste and sales loss.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor (12)
Implementation Method 2
a liquid level sensor (13)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention describes a Support System and Method for the Management of Beverages Bars in Points of Sale composed of a data manager, a message center, data control and acquisition modules, mobile device, fixed device, a database, that continually register the activity in the beverage preparation machines and beverages display containers to determine when they require attention informing, through the message center, the personnel that operate the points of sale of pending tasks to perform in order to have the displayed beverages fresh and prepared on time, reporting to the supervisor through mobile and/or fixed devices when said tasks haven't been attended to and when they were finally performed.The objective of this invention is to provide a tool that allows to increase the attention to the beverage preparation machines in points of sale where the freshness of beverages and the attention they require is crucial and the point of sale personnel have abundant activities to perform, as well as having a tool for the optimization of ingredient inventories, predictive maintenance alarms and the generation of statistical information to improve the attention to said products.