Q: Tell us how you cracked the idea ?

 

A: It all started with a long wait for beer. We had a really tiring work day and decided to unwind at a nearby microbrewery. We ended up waiting for quite a while before our drinks were served – which got us thinking: what if we could just pour our own beer?

We drew out a rough diagram of the product on a paper napkin and brainstormed into the wee hours of the morning. Within a matter of days, we had all the product details designed and were ready with a dedicated team to bring this idea to life.

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Q: Could you help us understand the concept of Smart Taps a bit more in detail?

 

A: TapIO is a self-pour smart dispensing device.

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Firstly it helps your customers pour their own beverage. So, be it beer or juice or anything,  pour-it-yourself model brings you a hassle free experience. TapIO also creates automatic billing per transaction and you don't have to worry about anything at all. It practically cuts down your labour cost in half, reduces wastage and increases profit margins. It Comes in different product variants ( Portable unit, wall mount and tap-on-table). I

 

TapIO is not just a self- pour solution , If you have already installed taps in your facility, TapIO smart solution can be directly attached to it, making it possible for you to track every drop of liquid poured out of it. This makes all the data handy for you, creating custom reports and data analytics that helps you to streamline operations, forecasting demand and help in inventory planning. 

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Q: Is it just a self-pour system?

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A: No, self-pouring is one aspect of Tap you can have TapIO self-pour system - portable or fixed at your facility. But if you have already existing facility with taps, you can attach tapIO smart solutions onto them to track, monitor and regulate every drop poured. Every drop poured is converted into data and this data is used to get custom reports on your business. Also use this data for targeted marketing, inventory planning and knowing your future demand.

 

Q: Is it always necessary to have a recharge-your-card system ?

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A: It is not completely necessary to have a recharge system.

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The customer will be assigned a card that can be recharged up to the desired amount. TapIO self-pour system works as a Beer ATM. TapIO also comes with a screen that displays all the relevant information about the various brews available.

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Once the customer reads all the information, all he needs to do is swipe the card on the smart card scanner. This activates the taps and the customer can pour out his own beer directly as opposed to hailing a waiter to place an order.

As long as the card is on the scanner, the taps remain activated.

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But if you want a postpaid billing or a cover charge billing for a facility, TapIO can take care of that. Personally, however, we’d recommend the usual recharge-and-pour method as it is more transparent and fun for the customers that way.

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Q: Give us a brief idea on how the whole TapIO infrastructure works.

 

A: TapIO is an AI product. The self-pour technology is controlled by an AI software that works on reinforcement learning. As mentioned earlier, every drop of beer that the tap dispenses gets converted into data. TapIO then uses this data to create custom reports that include customer and order details on a daily basis.

Brewery owners can access this data to run targeted marketing campaigns. Additionally, TapIO can also help streamline operations by matching supply and demand.

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Q: What goes into the setting up of this technology?

 

A: We work together with the client to plan out a model that’s best suited to his business. From then onwards, we handle everything – right from assembling the hardware to the setting up the software.

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Once the setup is complete, the platform will “auto discover” all the installed units, post which the brewery can configure its tables and beers to be served. The screen on TapIO gets updated in real time and is ready to be occupied by the customer. Simple!

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Q: Are there any variants?

 

A: Yes, certainly! Right now, there are three variants; each of these can be customized based on the ambience of the facility

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• Islander: a portable unit that can stand anywhere

• Tap-on-Table: a unit that can be fixed on individual tables

• Wall-Mount: a unit that can be fixed on a wall.

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Q: How do you see TapIO improving customer experience for pub/brewery visitors?

 

A: For customers, it’s all about enhancing their experience and helping them get to their orders faster. Every customer appreciates not being made to wait for their order and that’s where TapIO comes in. Besides, it also helps maintain transparency and gives customers the added joy of pouring out their own beer.

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With TapIO, we wanted to create a flawless experience for beer lovers that’s not only quick and smart, but also keeps them well informed about what they are drinking and how much they are being charged for it.

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