Barilliant - new system for an old industry

Alcohol is one of the world’s most traded commodities. Central to the liquor industry are the millions of liquor serveries which serves millions of liter of alcohol each day, a glass at a time. The biggest problem of this massive service industry is shrinkage – around 10-15% of tap beer goes straight down the drain in most pubs. New bar management system Barilliant monitors and minimizes wastage by accounting for every milliliter of alcohol using sensors, wireless technologies, and RFID staff identification, right down to how effectively every barman pours a beer. The system can be expected to save 5 to 10 percent of total throughput – very big bikkies.

Alcohol is an integral part of our way of life across most of the planet – drunk regularly by two billion humans, it is one of the world’s most traded commodities. Central to the liquor industry are the millions of liquor serveries which throughput billions of liters of alcohol, a glass at a time. One of the biggest problems of the liquor industry is shrinkage – around 10-15% of tap beer goes straight down the drain in most pubs. New bar management system Barilliant aims to monitor and minimize wastage by accounting for every milliliter using sensors, wireless technologies, and RFID staff identification, right down to how effectively every barman pours a beer. The system can be expected to save 5 to 10 percent of total throughput.

Given that there are some big beer barns out there pushing a million dollars a week through the tills, it’s not out of the question that the implementation of Barilliant might add $50,000 to the bottom line every week.

Running a pub, beerhaus or bar is now a science – most of the variables can be tracked, yields calculated, and most systems will tell you that you’re losing between 10% and 15% of beer volume down the drain.

Several systems are already on the market which include mechanisms to control shrinkage but none are as comprehensive and as exacting as Barilliant.

Using temperature and flow sensors, the system accounts for every fluid ounce and who poured the drink - when the drinks are rung up on the till, the system matches up the pouring of the system with the drinks and the RFID bracelet of the bar staff. The system has been on trial at four large hotels over the last twelve months and results have been fascinating.

In the first weeks of the trial, the figures began to show that some bar personal were being very sloppy with their pouring and were consistently running in the 15% plus wastage levels while some of the more proficient pourers were approaching zero - a perfect 400 ml beer is probably 390 ml of beer and 10 ml of froth, so with almost no wastage, it’s possible to have zero wastage.

Within a few weeks, everyone’s figures had dropped to under 5% wastage – just being made aware of the figures, staff behaviours improved remarkably and improved the bottom line accordingly.

Barilliant is an integrated liquor management system that provides the publican with complete venue accountability. Its unique integrated system allows for total control and accountability behind the bar, and it can be easily retro-fitted into existing venues. The installation process is non-invasive and does not restrict regular trade and there is no limit on the number of beer taps or spirit dispense points that can be controlled.

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