Case study
QSE POM
A web application for quality inspections of post-mix beverage dispensers at customer outlets. Designed, built and maintained by Parallel Web.
At a glance
- 6 valves recorded per dispenser, each with its own product and its own measurements
- Barcode outlets identified by scanning with the phone camera, or picked from a list
- PDF one-page report for every analysis, with in-range values highlighted in green
- Multilingual interface, with the language switchable at any time
Project overview
Post-mix dispensers mix syrup and carbonated water at the point of sale (the drink machines found in restaurants, cafés and fast-food outlets). Whether the drink in the glass tastes as it should depends on how well each dispenser is set up, cleaned and maintained.
Parallel Web designed and built QSE POM, a web application that guides field staff through the inspection of a dispenser and turns the results into a report, and has maintained and developed it since.
The challenge
A proper inspection covers a long list of checks: hygiene, the water filter, the syrup supply and several measurements such as drink temperature, the syrup-to-water ratio and carbonation. All of it has to be recorded for every valve on the dispenser.
The complication is that each valve can serve a different drink, and the inspection happens on site: standing at the dispenser with a phone, not at a desk. The record has to be quick to fill in, the same from one outlet to the next, and easy to find again later.
The solution
We built a web application, designed for phones, that walks the inspector through the visit step by step:
- Outlet identificationThe inspector scans the outlet's barcode with the phone camera or picks it from a searchable list. The customer, the responsible staff and the sales office are shown to confirm before the inspection starts.
- Valve-by-valve setupEach of the dispenser's six valves is assigned the product connected to it, or marked as not in use.
- ChecklistAnalysis, sanitation, water filter and product expiry dates; water filter replaced, stock rotation, approved CO₂ supply; taste, smell and hygiene.
- MeasurementsDrink temperature on a slider, water and syrup quantities with the ratio calculated automatically, carbonation, a customer satisfaction rating and free-text comments.
- PDF reportEach analysis can be exported as a one-page PDF with the outlet details, the checklist and the measurements, and the values within the accepted range highlighted in green.
- HistorySaved analyses are kept per outlet and can be reviewed and filtered in the analysis list.
- Multilingual interfaceThe interface is available in several languages, and users can switch between them at any time.
In use
-
Outlet: scan the barcode or pick from the list, then confirm the details. -
Valves: choose the product on each valve, or mark it as not in use. -
Measurements: the syrup-to-water ratio is calculated as the quantities are entered.
Screenshots from a demo environment. Names, products and data are fictional.
Technical approach
QSE POM is built on the same Microsoft stack as QSE Register, chosen for long-term stability and a good fit with the client's environment. The interface is responsive, so it works on the devices field staff carry.
- .NET / ASP.NET MVC
- C#
- Microsoft SQL Server
- JavaScript
- IIS / Windows Server
Long-term engagement
QSE POM is in production and under continuous development. Parallel Web maintains it, adjusts the checklist and the measurements as requirements change and keeps the technology stack current.
It is also a companion to QSE Register, built by the same team on the same foundations.
Outcomes
- The same inspection, recorded the same way, at every outlet
- Outlets identified by barcode instead of typed-in details
- Data entered on the phone, on site, during the visit
- No manual calculation of the syrup-to-water ratio
- A one-page PDF report for every analysis
- A history of analyses for every outlet