Costa Express has invested in Tracker’s telematics solutions as part of expansion plans. With 60 vehicles currently fitted with Tracker Fleet, along with a further 10 Battery-powered Tracker Fleet units used for rental vehicles, Tracker’s telematics will be used to enhance the efficiency of the Costa Express fleet.

The Whitbread group acquired the Coffee Nation coffee vending service, and re-launched as Costa Express in 2011. The tracking system allows the best placed staff to attend service calls for their machines, identifying mobile and stationary vehicles, allowing managers to use engineers more efficiently, rather than just choosing the nearest. The level of data available through Tracker also helps the business manage the Brand Excellence Advisors, ensuring they meet KPIs and make site visits within the agreed 30 day cycle by monitoring the geographical location of each vehicle.

“Once we realised how quickly the business was growing, we knew we needed Tracker’s telematics expertise,” said Matthew McGrath, project support for Costa Express.

“With the units from Tracker we can quickly identify the location of our field-based teams. This helps our engineers attend sites to ensure that the machines are trading to our high standards. The telematics data means we can accurately say where our engineer or Brand Excellence Advisor is. This allows us to prioritise visits and calls, ensuring a seamless level of service across our growing network.

“We’ve also had excellent training, allowing us to get to grips with the system and stay in control of our fleet. This partnership with Tracker is essential to ensure we can sustain and manage the growth of Costa Express. We will also be looking at a European option, working with Tracker to boost our expansion capabilities.”

Stephen Doran, managing director of Tracker added, “The flexibility of our fleet telematics solution means Costa Express benefit from a tailor made system. The business is already benefiting from the level of data we can provide, allowing Costa Express to manage its fleet more effectively and boost the efficiency across the UK network. This is vital at a time of such rapid growth and we look forward to working closely with the team as the network continues to expand.”