Case Study: Skill Scaffolding

Skill Scaffolding was looking to improve on-site refreshment facilities for a workforce of approximately 96 employees, including office-based staff and drivers who regularly leave site and return throughout the day. With limited hot drink facilities and staff frequently leaving the premises to purchase coffee and food, the business wanted a more convenient, reliable and cost-effective solution that better supported its team's daily needs.

They required a combination of hot drinks, chilled refreshments and mains-fed drinking water, alongside the flexibility to manage and replenish their own vending machine.

Reliable equipment, responsive local support and clear communication were key priorities, helping ensure the new solution could operate effectively without creating additional management demands.

The Challenge:

The customer’s existing refreshment facilities were limited to a kettle for hot drinks and a vending machine owned and managed in-house within the reception area. With approximately 96 employees, including office-based staff and drivers regularly arriving and returning throughout the day, the existing setup did not fully meet the team’s needs.

Staff were frequently leaving the premises to purchase coffee and food, resulting in prolonged breaks and lost working time. The customer wanted to improve refreshment accessibility on site, providing a quicker and more convenient option for employees throughout the working day.

The business was looking for a dedicated hot drinks machine with a free-vend option, a mains-fed water dispenser to replace its existing setup, and a vending machine that staff could continue to replenish and manage themselves.

Having experienced service and reliability issues previously, the customer also placed significant importance on dependable equipment, effective breakdown cover and responsive local support. Good communication was essential to ensure the facilities could be maintained reliably without placing additional pressure on the senior management team.

Key Issues Included:

Limited hot drink options, with staff frequently leaving site to purchase refreshments.
Lost working time and operational costs associated with extended breaks.
Previous service concerns, alongside the need for reliable equipment and responsive local support.
The existing setup needed to be reviewed due to the high volume of cold drinks consumed by the team, highlighting the need for a solution with greater capacity to meet demand.

The Solution:

Following an initial discussion, the customer visited our office to see the machines in person and sample the products. This hands-on experience proved helpful, allowing the team to explore the available options, experience the coffee for themselves and make a more informed decision about the solution best suited to their workplace.

To meet the customer's requirements, we supplied a Westomatic Quinto Max vending machine, offering high-capacity vending to support the site's workforce and refreshment needs. Initially the customer had considered installing two separate machines: one for bottled and canned drinks and another for confectionery.

However, the Quinto Max provided a more practical and cost-effective solution, offering increased capacity for cold drinks, which was the site's primary requirement, while eliminating the need for a second machine.

This allowed the customer to meet their refreshment needs with a single machine, reducing the initial investment while retaining full control over stocking and managing the vending machine themselves.

For hot drinks, a Rheavendors TT1 tabletop coffee machine was selected to provide a more convenient alternative to the existing kettle-based arrangement. With a free-vend option among the customer's requirements, the hot drinks provision could be tailored to their intended workplace setup.

Both the Westomatic Quinto Max and Rheavendors TT1 were fitted with Nayax card readers, supporting cashless payment functionality and giving employees a convenient way to purchase refreshments.

To replace the previous water machine, a floorstanding Borg & Overström B3.2 water dispenser was installed, connected to the mains water supply.

Throughout the selection process, the emphasis was on delivering a practical workplace refreshment solution that balanced capacity, convenience and ease of management with the reliable service and local support the customer valued.

Key Solution Elements:

Westomatic Quinto Max high-capacity vending machine.
Rheavendors TT1 tabletop coffee machine.
Borg & Overström B3.2 floorstanding mains-fed water dispenser.
Integrated Nayax card readers on both the vending and hot drinks machines.
Nayax card reader integration enabling free-vend functionality for the hot drinks machine.
Customer-managed vending replenishment.
Breakdown cover and local service support.
In-person product demonstrations and coffee sampling to support informed decision-making.

The Outcome:

The new refreshment setup provides the customer with a more comprehensive on-site solution, combining high-capacity vending, dedicated coffee provision and mains-fed drinking water. The facilities are designed to better accommodate the needs of both office-based employees and drivers who arrive and return throughout the working day.

By providing access to refreshments on site, the solution addresses one of the key challenges identified by the customer: employees leaving the premises to purchase hot drinks and food. Having these facilities available at work offers the potential to reduce unnecessary trips away from site and help the business make better use of its employees' working time.

The introduction of the Borg & Overström B3.2 mains-fed water dispenser continues to provide convenient access to drinking water, building on the customer's existing mains-fed solution. Alongside this, the high-capacity vending machine and dedicated coffee machine expand the range of refreshments available, giving employees greater choice and convenience throughout the working day.

Importantly, the solution was shaped around the customer's wider service expectations. Previous experiences had made reliability, communication and local support essential considerations. The inclusion of breakdown cover and the emphasis on accessible support help provide reassurance that assistance is available when needed, without placing the full burden of managing service issues on the senior management team.

Customer Quote:

'A fantastic company from start to finish, and after sales too!

The team at Bettavend listened to our requirements and found the perfect machines to suit our office and workforce. Everyone i met from the team was polite, friendly and helpful, and any teething problems that have arisen with the use of the machines since installation have been solved within 24 hours of a call to the offices.

If you need a vending machine, or a lovely coffee machine I would highly recommend Bettavend.'

- Alison Harding, Finance Director

Looking Ahead:

With the new refreshment facilities in place, the customer has a solution designed to support its workforce more effectively while helping simplify the day-to-day management of workplace refreshments.

The combination of high-capacity vending, convenient hot drinks provision and mains-fed drinking water addresses the limitations of the previous setup while giving the customer the flexibility to manage its own vending operation.

For a business with employees regularly travelling to and from site, providing refreshments on the premises can also help support a more efficient working day.

Looking ahead, reliability, responsive local support and clear communication will remain central to the ongoing success of the solution. With breakdown cover in place and a refreshment setup tailored to the customer's needs, the business has a stronger foundation for delivering a convenient, dependable workplace experience for its team.