The Eversys Way

While coffee lovers in mature markets such as Europe and the US are beginning to expect high quality coffee in almost every imaginable setting (work, home, in transit), the need for new solutions for creating that coffee is growing ever stronger. That is where technology comes in – with companies such as Eversys creating compact, reliable superautomatic machines that can provide barista-quality coffee at the touch of a button. Swiss manufacturer Eversys has been built upon the vision of transforming the espresso machine market by challenging the traditional versus superautomatic equipment divide, says the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Kamal Bengougam. “Eversys was founded in 2009, a company with old heads yet young hearts and minds,” Bengougam tells Global Coffee Report. “[Our] aim is quite ambitious – to become one of the leading providers of global coffee equipment solutions by 2020.” Given that the company has experienced consistent year-on-year growth every year it has been in operation, perhaps that ambition is not too far-fetched. At its outset, Eversys launched its e’4 range of equipment. Built around the e’Barista system, Eversys’ machines produce coffee in a way that mirrors the traditional barista method, with electronic grinder adjustment, precision-driven brewing, extraction optimisation and thermodynamic integrity to produce consistently high quality coffee. Since the company launched, it has enhanced its offering with the addition of such features as a one-step offering focusing on steamed milk products, connectivity with field-based equipment, mobile solutions such as integrated payment systems, self-service functionality and real-time data mining. In 2014, Eversys also released the Shotmaster, a compact superautomatic machine that is capable of delivering four espressos at a time while using just 28 centimetres of bench space. Like all Eversys machines, the Shotmaster uses a reverse extraction principle that gives it the ability to produce traditional standard espresso by extracting the product against gravitational forces. The machine also incorporates Eversys’s telemetry system, e’Connect, which won a Smart Label Award at the 2013 Host exhibition in Milan and provides all the information needed by professionals to manage their machine in real time via the internet. The e’Connect system gives stakeholders the ability to remotely access information about all of the key parameters of the machines. This includes monthly, daily and even hourly productivity reports, feedback on technical performance and drink profiles. All of this information can be accessed through either push or pull functions, in line with the preference of the user. Eversys’ machines are also built using modular technologies, with all the main functionalities separated to provide ease of access and minimise downtime. Each machine consists of five modules – the grinder, the patented brewing module, the hydraulics, the steam and water boilers and the milk module. The grinder module is made of two ceramic grinder discs, driven by a powerful yet quiet motor, whose heat is channelled away from the coffee beans via a set of fans. Electronic control maintains consistency of product throughout the day, ensuring optimal extraction at all times. The brewing module uses a system of reverse gravity extraction vertical infusion to optimise powder efficiency as the espresso is produced. The coffee boiler is kept separate from the water and steam boiler to provide greater temperature control and increase the productivity of the machine. The machines also include Eversys’ unique e’clean technology. Eversys machines can store one month’s worth of cleaning tablets, dispensed daily through a laser guided automatic distribution unit. This ensures that health and safety standards are maintained, as well as safeguarding the machine’s optimum performance. Bengougam says that Eversys’ target market is the discerning customer seeking to enhance their value offering, providing differentiation through genuinely creative solutions. “The people who understand the difference between price and value,” he says. Being a company driven by quality, Bengougam says Eversys will appeal to those for whom the details really matter, organisations who derive both pride and profits from providing a great customer experience. “The Eversys brand and product range seems to echo with people and organisations who look beyond today, the status quo of the ‘me too’ manufacturers,” he says. “Understanding how to create a unique and compelling value proposition, driven by a value offering that promotes differentiation and leading edge in-cup experience, optimising a total sensory experience that will lead to long-term sustainability and profits.” It is these qualities that Bengougam says he expects will stand his company in good stead as the industry grows ever more competitive. “Over the past few years the industry has experienced significant growth as well as developments,” Bengougam says. “Traditional coffee machines are becoming increasingly driven by technology whilst super-automatic equipment is attempting to improve standards of quality at all levels. This has resulted in better equipment, leading to improved product quality therefore generating continuous market growth and profits. This has led to some consolidation with the growing interest of global financial players seeking a foothold in this dynamic industry.” Bengougam says that this ties in with the growth of consumer knowledge at a retail level, which has been propelled forward by the specialty coffee movement and its promotion by mainstream players such as Starbucks.
This has also led to an increasing sophistication in automatic machines built for the domestic market, leading to a blurring of the lines between the machines that are pitched at the domestic consumer and those, such as Eversys’, which are designed primarily for the corporate market. “In my opinion, the battle zone is being developed at the lower end of the market where home appliances companies are vying for entry into the lucrative lower end of the professional equipment market,” Bengougam says. But it is in the retail and corporate markets that Eversys has focused its efforts, anticipating and responding to a desire from an increasingly discerning consumer for creative new concepts from the convenience segment of the market, challenging the traditional coffee chains with both competitive pricing and quality offerings. In the corporate market, Bengougam sees environmental considerations such as the carbon footprint of machines being a driving factor. But ultimately, it is the result in the cup that will continue to drive Eversys forward. “In-cup quality and consistency will always be paramount to our value offering as will enhanced connectivity [such as] distance diagnostics, real time data [and] remote access,” Bengougam says. “Ergonomics and features that promote human interface will be the next area of improvement. And whilst competition appears to be focusing on lowering equipment specifications and price, our aim will major on maintaining standards and focus on Swiss engineering ingenuity to streamline our current value offering. This will result in making our products more accessible financially as well as technologically.” GCR