Evoca’s UK Managing Director believes Evoca Group is on the brink of a golden age of unprecedented success. In a series of articles exclusive to Planet Vending, he tells us why…
In Reasons to be Cheerful – Part Four, Hervé Donneaud discusses changes in workplace expectations and the crucial operational roles played by telemetry and management software.
I’m proud to say that our turnover at Evoca UK is up on last year by more than fifty-precent, thanks largely to our advances in new segments and new, key customers coming on board. We meet the needs of these customers because we deliver. We have a great network of distributors, we have knowledge; we have the abilities, we have the people and we can back it all up with service.
I believe that Britain is a HoReCa market now. Although vending is still a key element that, in one form or another, will always be with us, we’re in a new era now, which requires an overhaul in approach to combine traditional vending and automated retail.
The psychology of work has changed; employees these days expect more, and better. The working environment is more relaxed that it’s ever been. For many, the removal of the commute from the working day became a ‘perk’ that they are, or were, loathe to relinquish. There are conflicting views on the future of the office: working from home, flexible working; hybrid working. Some companies, Twitter for example, have insisted that all staff return to the workplace. I recognise the need for a positive work:life balance, but I strongly believe people need to gather together and develop a sense of ‘belonging’ if they are to be at their most creative. I’m open to hybrid working but in my view there will always be a workplace.
You might say we’re at a crossroads. These days, staff are attracted by workplaces that provide the ‘good vibes’ you might associate more readily with ‘leisure’ than ‘work’. As the pool of skilled, experienced staff diminishes, so the recruitment and retention of people becomes a priority, and the quality of food and drink available to them, and the ambience of the grazing or dining areas, is a tangible way to convey to staff that they are highly valued by their employer.
We, as an industry and Evoca in particular, have our part to play in this; the creation of a ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere at work, which is conducive to creativity and productivity.
There’s ‘Big Stuff’ ahead. Evoca is in the fortunate position of being at the vanguard of workplace transformation, with so many original solutions on tap and a team that really does know the ropes.
I hear that in the UK many years ago, the concept of telemetry had a bad name. It was referred to as ‘the ‘T’ word’. These days, can you imagine running your business without real-time management information?
At Evoca, we have a brand, Newis, which is dedicated to delivering new telemetry solutions, and I know for a fact, (from personal experience, in fact!) that much of what we have to take on board is complex. It’s not even easy to grasp the essentials. That’s why we need to make our customers feel comfortable in deploying this kind of solution because frankly, in today’s climate and in the future, it’s a ‘must’. We’ll be introducing some exciting Newis products into the UK later this year and there’s a lot to take in…
So, to conclude this series of articles, let me sum up my personal Reasons to be Cheerful. We have a dynamic, knowledgeable financial backer. We have an unmatched range of quality products that represent excellent value for money. Our management style empowers our extremely talented people and encourages initiative, and we’re optimizing our use of digital communications to maintain our position at the vanguard of workplace transformation, as visitors to Kingswinford can see for themselves.
What’s not to like?!
Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you.
Catch up on the rest of Herve’s articles: Reasons to be Cheerful PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE
