Dive Brief:
- Ecotrak will deploy Disruptive Technologies’ sensors and related data to help food retailers, convenience stores and quick service restaurants monitor their assets, and improve their operational efficiency and food safety practices.
- The collaboration involves integrating Disruptive Technologies’ advanced temperature monitoring sensors with Ecotrak’s facility management software to help customers monitor and manage their fridges, freezers, coolers and heating equipment, Ecotrak said in a news release Thursday.
- The partnership aims to boost store sales by automating work order creation and minimizing equipment downtime, per the release. As a proof of concept, H&S Energy Products will be the first to test and implement this integration on refrigeration units, automating service requests based on real-time data, Ecotrak said.
Dive Insight:
New technologies, driven by machine learning, are increasingly addressing the challenge of analyzing large volumes of food safety data and converting it to meaningful information, Frank Yiannas, former deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, wrote recently in Food Safety Magazine.
Disruptive Technologies develops small wireless sensors that can help businesses collect data from buildings, facilities and assets, and these sensors can detect issues in temperature-controlled food holding areas, keeping food safe for customers, according to the release. The company says its plug-and-play sensors can be deployed anywhere in minutes and offer up to 15 years of battery life.
The integration will also help users track equipment performance, optimize maintenance schedules and reduce the incidence of unexpected failures. By doing so, retailers can “significantly reduce” operational costs over the life span of Disruptive Technologies’ temperature sensors. Additionally, real-time sensor data removes the need for store staff to manually check equipment temperatures, freeing them up for higher value tasks, like customer experience, Ecotrak said.
Collaborations with companies like Ecotrak can help it collect “millions of data points and provide actionable insights for a proactive approach to facilities management,” Disruptive Technologies said in the release.
H&S Energy Products, which operates retail gasoline service stations along with convenience and grocery stores under brands like Extra Mile and Power Market, said the integration is helping it ensure “optimal equipment performance” across its facilities. The integration is “a game-changer, promising significant improvements in efficiency and safety," Fidaa Mohrez, senior director of operational systems at H&S Energy Products, said in a statement.
