Dive Brief:
- RaceTrac is now using Disruptive Technologies’ automated temperature monitoring solution in freezers, refrigerators and hot cases at all of its 580 c-stores, according to a Friday announcement.
- The technology allows the company to remotely monitor the temperature of various cases and can send alerts to RaceTrac’s help desk when changes in those readings indicate there may be a problem.
- This continues a breakneck pace for RaceTrac’s tech upgrades in the past few months. Other changes include implementing an edge computing platform, switching its servers to Hewlett Packard Enterprise ProLiant options, improving supply chain and warehouse operations, and expanding its electric vehicle charging program into the Dallas area.
Dive Insight:
As Atlanta-based RaceTrac looks to expand its operations, using technology to streamline operations could save on labor while improving food safety and the customer experience.
Disruptive Technologies’ sensors are connected directly into ServiceChannel, RaceTrac’s work order management system. When a problem is detected, it can create a work order in the company’s already-established workflow rather than prompting employees to check an entirely separate dashboard.
Quick responses to problems with hot and cold cases can not only ensure a more uniform and higher quality experience from the company’s foodservice program, but also prevent bacteria that can cause food to spoil or can make people sick.
RaceTrac initially piloted the technology at 110 stores. When that proved successful, it did a full rollout to the rest of the stores, which took under seven weeks. The company also runs about 200 RaceWay c-stores, but it wasn’t immediately clear if those locations would feature this technology in the future.
Disruptive Technologies was not the only temperature monitoring system the convenience retailer tested, but the other solutions either had shorter battery life or a higher sensor failure rate, said Chase Roth, special projects manager at RaceTrac. The Disruptive Technologies sensors feature up to a 15-year battery life, according to the announcement.
In the future, RaceTrac may also use the technology to further improve operational efficiency, said Josh Tate, director of store operations.
“That could be predictive maintenance, identifying equipment anomalies, monitoring doors and windows, or adding humidity data,” said Tate. “The more data we have, the smarter we can be."