ABSTRACT
A sports bar and restaurant near Madison, Wis., is one of the first Society Insurance policyholders and pilot customers benefiting from OneEvent Technologies’ OneEvent artificial intelligence (AI) software platform that collects, integrates and analyzes data through monitoring devices.
“The first Friday we had the system, we received an alert that a cooler was having an issue. That cooler was holding our fish, and if you know anything about Wisconsin Fish Fry Fridays, you know this could have been a big issue,” said Judi Nonn, co-owner of Coach’s Club Sports Bar & Restaurant in Cross Plains, Wis.
“Because we were alerted in advance, we got ahead of the issue and maintained food safety while saving money. OneEvent is one in a million.”
By comparing data over time, OneEvent autonomously recognizes and learns normal patterns. Significant changes in patterns can warn of trouble in advance; potential emergencies can be addressed proactively and averted. In addition, OneEvent can reveal opportunities for improvements to operations that can provide energy and payroll savings. OneEvent is a product of OneEvent Technologies, based in Mount Horeb, Wis.
Since installation of OneEvent in September 2017, Coach’s Club has averted several issues that would have resulted in an estimated $20,000 in loss. In addition, data records are being utilized to enhance the maintenance of equipment, which will result in greater reliability, safety and cost savings.
Society Insurance, whose policies protect many restaurant and food service businesses, recently began a partnership and pilot program with OneEvent to introduce the company’s restaurant and food service solutions to its policyholders.
OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
“Safety is our number one priority,” said Dave Romine, Co-Owner and Manager of Coach’s Club. “Every restaurant has to take food temps, and although we have a great staff, none of us is perfect. OneEvent adds a layer of data collection and protection that is very valuable to us. We’ve never had a food loss, and we’re confident that OneEvent will help us keep that record intact.”
Coach’s Club reported past losses resulting from a failed sump pump and frozen pipes. Romine and Nonn were also concerned about possible security issues with the restaurant’s back door. As a result, OneEvent was configured to monitor specific locations with the objectives to maintain food safety, prevent loss and ensure guest and staff safety.
To accomplish these goals and more, a OneEvent® System was installed, which monitors:
- Cooler performance, including door activations, temperature and humidity
- Temperature in under-heated rooms containing sprinkler system piping
- Building safety and security, including smoke, CO, leak and/or flood potential, and entry/exit
- Building comfort, including temperature and humidity
The OneEvent gateway collects the data over the OneEvent private cellular link , and securely transfers it to the cloud for analysis and communication via an app and dashboards.
“In addition to preventing loss, we’re also looking toward correcting our behavior. By better managing our work habits, we’re better able to control costs and maintain safety,” Romine said.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI)
At the core of the OneEvent® System is a patented AI software platform that leverages machine learning to analyze a multitude of environmental sensor measurements, creating valuable information and messages that are sent instantaneously to the mobile devices of property owners and managers. OneEvent is empowering owners and managers, enabling faster and better decision-making, and mitigating property damage and personal injury risk. The system identifies and predicts the onset of fires, water damage, equipment failures, food/medicine spoilage and other catastrophic events. The AI solution creates a paradigm in which computer systems can sense what’s happening an environment, and think, learn and act in response.
OneEvent’s environmental sensors are designed to measure a variety of conditions, storing all the data in a decentralized database. The AI solution analyzes the data to learn the intimate behavior of a building or equipment to understand what is normal, and creates immediate alerts when conditions are not. Because OneEvent is a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, new features and improvements happen automatically — meaning the system gets better, and smarter, with time.
Sensors and Alarms
- All equipment is wireless and battery operated, making it quick and easy to install
- Food-grade, water-resistant temperature, humidity and steamer monitoring capabilities via Wyze Temp
- System is continuously monitored for accuracy and viability
- Smoke alarms are UL 217 approved
- CO alarms are pending UL 2034 approval
Gateway
- Continuous monitoring and reporting of connection status and sensor health
- Battery backed with AC loss detection
- UL 217A approval pending
- Internet link is a secure, dedicated cellular connection
- Remote software updates assure the latest application is running
Mobile Reporting, Alters and Dashboards
Real-time monitoring is available through the OneEvent app, available on iOS and Android mobile devices.
As OneEvent learns customized “normal” conditions for all sensors reporting, alerts are sent to appropriate mobile devices.
RESULTS
Coach’s Club has continued to maintain its record of zero food loss. In addition, OneEvent has been responsible for a number of saves, which could have resulted in actual losses totaling more than $20,000.
As mentioned earlier, shortly after OneEvent was installed, the system detected a primary cooler malfunction. According to Romine, “The cooler failed on a Friday afternoon, and we could have lost all the food. What’s a Friday worth without fish, especially in Wisconsin?”
Due to the age of the original building, Coach’s Club has water pipes in areas that may not be adequately heated. During a significant cold snap several years ago, just before Christmas, a pipe had burst and flooded most of the restaurant. “The loss was extensive,” Romine said. “We were closed for over two days, and lost between $5,000 and $6,000 in sales. Our cleanup and repair costs were around $15,000.”
After OneEvent was installed, Coach’s Club faced a similar issue but this time management was notified of a system-detected declining temperature in a mop room. “This time we got an alert in advance of significant temperature loss,” Romine said. “We would not have known about this and could have faced another burst pipe and significant losses. That was a big save.”
A less dramatic but still significant issue was averted when a beer keg cooler door was left open. Romine was out of town on a well-deserved vacation when he received an alert. A quick call to the restaurant prevented a small problem from becoming a large one.
Lastly, a failed sump pump, which was detected by a water sensor sent an alert to the manager’s smartphone, allowing them to replace the pump well in advance of any flooding.
As a result of the continuous monitoring and data management, Coach’s Club is working with a local refrigeration vendor to correct an anomaly with one of the restaurant’s coolers. “One of our coolers is not maintaining a stable temperature, and we’re able to share the graphs with the right folks to see what the cooler is doing and have a record of the problem,” Romine said. “By continually taking temps, we can see trends and prevent issues before they happen.”
Because of the proactive ability of the system to prevent loss, Coach’s Club is hoping to earn insurance rate reductions, which could add further value to the OneEvent® System.
CONCLUSION
In less than a year, the OneEvent® System has empowered Coach’s Club to realize loss prevention savings exceeding $20,000, and may provide ongoing savings with reduced insurance premiums, as well as systems monitoring and maintenance efficiencies.
In addition to helping maintain food safety and prevent loss, Coach’s Club is benefiting from an increased sense of confidence and peace of mind. “I would recommend OneEvent,” Romine concluded. “It’s been a relief and a huge benefit to catch issues well ahead of time.”
Appendix A – Cooler Outage
- OneEvent® System installed on 9/29/2017 at 8 a.m.
- Strange behavior in freezer temperatures detected during the day Saturday
- Manager noticed issue on mobile phone, and service was called to correct issue
- Temps remained below 40°F no food loss
Appendix B – Sump Pump Failure
- Mobile phone alert of water event in basement on October 9, 2017, at 2:39 a.m.
- Manger arrived on scene at approximately 3:30 a.m. and found the sump pump had failed
Appendix C – Sprinkler Area
- Monitored temperature dropped below 32°F at 9:07 pm on January 29
- January 30 was a very cold morning, dipping to 9°F with a windchill of 1.0°F by 4:35 a.m.
- An alert was generated after temperature was below freezing for 12 hours
- Temperature was above freezing by noon on January 30
- Total of 15 hours below freezing
