RusHOLTS company has launched in operation its Center for remote monitoring of the gas stations process equipment. The first phase of the project involved the commissioning of coffee machines remote monitoring for some 1140 customers’ gas stations. As of now one can oversee the operation of each machine in real time, regardless of its location. Thus, a visualization of BMS Coffee Control  IT solution took place.

BMS Coffee Control System is designed for remote management of an unlimited number of coffee machines’ configuration, on-line monitoring of their technical condition, remote collection of all operational and statistical data in order to avoid risks of abuse and/or unskilled actions by gas stations personnel and service engineers.

Coffee machines remote monitoring allows doubling the sales of coffee drinks. In monetary terms, it turns out that due to the lack of a reliable accounting of coffee sales filling stations’ "give away" to the employees some 2-3 billion rubles a year, meanwhile the overall "generosity" of  all Russian public catering establishments in this respect is not less than 25 billion rubles a year.

In addition, remote monitoring helps to achieve major savings on machines’ servicing. Downtime is 3 times shorter as compared to the "traditional" system of service and the number of service technicians visits paid by the network of filling stations is 50% reduced.

During 2014-2015, BMS Coffee Control software solution has been implemented in major Russian gas stations network with more than 900 units country-wide. Such a large-scale project required  the development of several specialized user interfaces for management and reporting. Technical equipment of Center allows tracking the work of each coffee machine in Russian Federation online.

"Data visualization is a very important point in the management of any complex object. On the map you can choose any station, get coffee drinks sales statistics in the period of time which is less than 5 minutes, - says Alexander Kuzmin, RusHOLTS CEO. We can see peak load in each region and for each station. RusHOLTS Company continues to work on the unification of all data relating to non-fuel business of gas stations in a cloud. The BMS allows you to control all the technological equipment in restaurants and shops, to monitor the location of personnel, to organize non-contact access to the station".

As the next step in this project’s development RusHOLTS plans to unfold the remote monitoring of gas stations’ refrigeration equipment.

When gossips age, they become myths

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Despite the fact that the business of RusHOLTS exists over the last fifteen years, a wider audience know about it very little. As often happens in such situations, myths have spread much wider than objective information. For a time I enjoyed such a situation, it is always interesting to watch how you are perceived from the outside, you learn a lot :). But lately, myth-making began to acquire a pronounced "goal-oriented" and manageable character. And that’s pretty sad, because the free and quite safe flight of individuals’ fantasy are replaced by methods of disinformation, clearly proven in the politics, and now being carried on the business field. Why prove or something, why go any deeper into thinking about the problem if you can just come up with "another great myth" and create the right mood in the business environment? Minimum cost and the effect can be quite significant. Therefore, I think it's time to take a particularly active debunking myth attitude regarding my company. I propose to consider five main myths about business RusHOLTS:

1. RusHOLTS is very expensive

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RusHOLTS company prepared a letter to the Customs Union Commission on the labeling of coffee and coffee-containing beverages. Thus, the company will initiate amendments to the Russian law, according to which the instant coffee should be called "coffee-based beverage".

The legal basis for such work is the "International Coffee Agreement of 2007" to which Russia joined in March 2015. The agreement is aimed at strengthening international cooperation in the consumption and development of the coffee market in the interests of all its participants. In the case of coffee and coffee-containing beverages that kind of clarity is absent at the moment. The precedent for such work is a legislative motion for labeling of milk and milk-based products. The objects of regulation are coffee, coffee extract, coffee oil.

Issue’s relevance 

In Russia the very culture of coffee consumption has only begun to emerge. Experts believe that it will develop according western markets’ patterns. In the early 80’s in the US instant coffee held leading positions. However, ten years later the share of instant and natural coffee consumption had become equal - 50% each. The sooner the consumer will understand the difference between various types of coffee and coffee-containing beverages, the more informed choice he would make. Now in Russia about 80% of coffee products consumption accounts for instant coffee. For comparison, in Italy, the same figure does not exceed 1%.

Instant coffee, along with other concentrates, has been created by military industry to supply troops in the field, it is the same product as canned stewed meat or egg powder.

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"Coffee doesn’t grow in Europe", - such message was contained a few years ago in advertising of one of the major coffee brands. Yes, the coffee trees do not grow in Europe or Russia.

 But producing country is the one that is considered to be the side that made the last major changes to the product. Sorting beans, roasting and making coffee blend are the most important stages of production.

For gas stations chains using automatic coffee machines it is important that coffee blend from batch to batch remained the same in taste qualities of roasted beans. This particular requirement which is essential for public food services network is met by a very few production companies.

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Supplychains.ru which is known as an informative and popular resource on procurements and logistics has published a story about ADR system (Automatic Delivery Rewards) for the gas stations.

We are accustomed to refuel on the way home from work at gas stations, have a cup of coffee there, buy a magazine without thinking how all of this gets on the shelves of that facility which is not specialized as a point of retail. Try to remember when was the last time you were searching at the time of travel through the vastness of our homeland for a gas station not to refuel but to buy some water and snacks. 

The directions of «Food products» and «Accompanying good» are beginning to take an increasing share of gas stations’ profitability. Supply chain for gas stations requires good management, serious and reliable software as well as logistics infrastructure. Speakers of today's article will talk about their experience of developing gas station’s «non-core activities».

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RusHOLTS company became the official distributor of Russian brand of premium car care products - Argentum Premium.

Argentum Premium is a new brand of Russian automobile cosmetics and, in a way, it’s a reaction to the new economic conditions, also it’s an import substitution product. 

Almakem company for more than 10 years has been producing car chemicals and cosmetics under brands of its customers. The company once modernized its production lines especially to produce premium automobile cosmetics. After the sanctions have been imposed on Russian economy the company developed its own formulations, optimized its production infrastructure for Russian raw materials and produced a series of premium car care products Argentum Premium.

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Correspondents magazine "5 wheel" asked the experts "RusHOLTS" for information about the kinds of nezamerzaek in the Russian market.

Poor freezing windshield washer fluid can cause nausea, dizziness, and even blindness. We found that sold in Russia under the guise of "liquid", and what dangers lurk car owners using fakes

As soon as the thermometer starts to show a negative temperature on the street, most motorists go to the store and buy it the first available antifreeze liquid for the machine. However, many are not even aware that the Russian market autochemistry through the specifics of our country, poses a serious threat. After all, "liquid" does not freeze for a reason, and due to the presence in them of certain chemical compounds, among which there are also very dangerous.

1. Methanol

This alcohol is forbidden to use in freezing liquids since 2007, when the former head of Rospotrebnadzor Gennady Onishchenko has finally taken care of public safety and banned the use of methyl alcohol in the media-chemistry. However, even after 7 years, approximately 50% of the market "liquids" in Russian still manufactured using methanol. The benefit to manufacturers is clear: methanol - the cheapest alcohol (its price is three times lower than the price of isopropyl alcohol), while it does not thicken in subzero temperatures (pressure washer is always good flows from the injectors) and virtually no smell. What else should the motorist? You buy a liquid and remain fully satisfied, not even knowing that only 5 ml of methyl alcohol, got into the human body, can cause blindness he and 30 ml - death. And drink it this does not necessarily: the harmful substances can enter the body through the inhalation of fumes inside the vehicle when using the methyl antifreeze.

2. Sodium chloride

Simply put - common salt. Its aqueous solutions are cheap, do not smell and are freezing properties, which is used by savvy manufacturers. In this case, sodium chloride solutions do not carry such a health hazard as methanol, which would seem to make such antifreeze washer fluid is extremely popular. But they have another drawback: the corrosion of metal parts washer system and the body. Therefore, such a liquid, though there are on the market, but are rare.

3. Ethanol

To use this alcohol is required to obtain special licenses and payment of "vodka" excise tax per liter of product. Thus, the minimum retail price of the alcohol cans may be higher than a thousand rubles. Of course, to find buyers for such products is extremely difficult, and therefore all manufacturers who had the appropriate licenses, refused to issue such "fluids".

4. Isopropanol

This is the only alcohol that can be legally used for "liquid". In Russia, it produces two plants: in Dzerzhinsk and Orsk. Pros isopropanol: legal product, is relatively safe. Cons: sharp specific smell of alcohol is very difficult to "strangle" flavors, and some of low-quality alcohol can cause dizziness and nausea. Acceptable odor and lack of side effects can be achieved using imported isopropyl alcohol, but this "nezmerzayka" will cost more than that of the liquid, which is made on the Russian raw materials.

Buyer's guide:

- If you are going to shop for antifreeze, remember that the only legitimate presence in the market product - a "liquid" to isopropyl alcohol.

- In order not to run into a fake or defective product, we recommend you buy a "liquid" only in large chain stores or gas stations known networks.

- When antifreeze must be guided by its smell. In no case should not take the washer with a sharp unpleasant odor, it can affect your well-being and cause a variety of adverse reactions.

We thank the company "RusHOLTS" representing the brand autochemistry EXPERT, for their assistance in preparing this material.