Define the service you are buying
Start with who drinks the coffee, who operates the equipment and when service must be available. A self-service point needs a readable menu, straightforward cup placement and understandable error messages. A staffed bar needs an effective sequence for grinding, extraction, milk preparation and handover. Equal daily volumes do not imply equal equipment or staffing needs.
Build a baseline from several representative days, including a busy day. Record order time, drink, size, extra shots, milk and reasons for remakes. For an unopened venue, label forecasts as assumptions and replace them with observations after opening; employee headcount is not a drink count.
Separate daily volume from the busiest interval
Specify daily demand, the actual order sequence in the busiest 15 minutes and an acceptable wait. Daily volume describes operating scale; a concentrated sequence describes when service is needed. Keep those two requirements separate in the brief, then ask the supplier to demonstrate the exact mix instead of treating one headline capacity number as acceptance.
Ask which recipe, cup volume, single/double mode, electrical version and starting condition support each claimed rate. Do not substitute the fastest small double-espresso figure for large mixed milk drinks. Include cup handling, ordinary replenishment and remakes in a demonstration; record the final completion time and longest wait, not just the first drink.
Set exclusions before scoring extras
Separate essential conditions, adaptable conditions and optional benefits. Essentials might include site power compatibility, required drinks and available local service; adaptable conditions might include the menu or replenishment staffing. Treat unverified information as pending, rather than scoring it zero or assuming the feature exists.
Identify the exact model, market, grinders, milk system, cooler and water arrangement. Obtain the applicable installation drawing, and keep its revision with the quotation. A photograph does not establish an accessory list. Retain evidence and unresolved questions beside each comparison row so that verbal claims do not disappear when the order is placed.
Worked example: turn 90 daily drinks into a test
All numbers here are invented planning inputs, not manufacturer results. An office forecasts 90 daily drinks and 24 between 09:00 and 09:15: 14 milk coffees, eight black coffees and two hot waters. Its provisional maximum wait is four minutes. Multiplying 24 by four does not establish 96-drink hourly performance: arrival timing and the milk mix still need testing.
Give both suppliers the same timestamped script, intended cups and recipes. Start normally warmed, release orders on schedule and time replenishment honestly. If both fail, locate the bottleneck—production, selection or cup handling—before considering a shorter menu, separate hot water or another service point.
| Test input | Assumption | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Operating scale | 90 drinks/day | Screening and costing only |
| 15-minute script | 14 milk + 8 black + 2 hot water | Arrival and completion times |
| Waiting objective | Maximum 4 minutes | Buyer-selected target to verify |
| Interruption | One ordinary replenishment | Unavailable time, staff actions, unfinished orders |
Make cleaning and service deliverable
Have the supplier demonstrate cleaning with the selected milk system. Measure hands-on work, automatic running time and time unavailable for drinks separately. Franke cleaning resources provide procedures and product references; automation does not remove the need to assign a trained owner and substitute.
Request separate commitments for acknowledgement, remote diagnosis, attendance and restoration. Verify coverage at your address, including weekends. List planned maintenance, wear parts, travel charges, loan equipment and exclusions. An overseas service network is not evidence of a local contract, and a warranty should not be assumed to include consumables.
Compare complete costs on the same basis
Separate equipment, grinder, cooler, delivery, site work and training from recurring beans, milk, cleaning supplies, filters, labour and planned service. Use the same currency, tax basis, period and operating days. Keep uncertain costs as ranges or awaiting quotation, rather than convenient zeros.
For rental, ask about minimum purchases, tied supplies, early termination and ownership at the end. Treat these as commercial questions for the supplier. Saved staff minutes are not automatically cash savings if employees simply do other work. Model interruption costs separately instead of presenting unsupported lost-sales estimates as guaranteed savings.
Close the decision with an acceptance record
The final brief should say what the configuration produces, how it fits the site, how the peak is handled and who maintains it. For failed demonstration items, record the cause, corrective action, owner and retest date. Arrange a site survey or loan test where conditions remain unresolved.
Check that the quoted package contains the cooler, software options and treatment used in the demonstration. Retain the menu version, order script, drawings and service contacts for delivery checks. Avoid choosing on appearance or discount first and forcing the site and team to adapt afterwards.
Take these questions to a supplier
- Will you run this exact configuration against our timestamped orders, cup sizes and waiting target?
- Does the installation drawing include every add-on, access allowance and local electrical version?
- What are the hands-on, automatic and unavailable cleaning times, and who covers absences?
- Which supplies, maintenance visits, travel charges and backup arrangements are included?
- Who will resolve each outstanding condition, by when, and with what acceptance evidence?
Sources & scope
Official route to configuration-specific machine/add-on datasheets and CAD; does not establish that a particular site is ready.
Checked Oct 08, 2026Official cleaning videos, cleaning products and safety-data resources; individual routines must be matched to the selected configuration.
Checked Oct 08, 2026
