Convotherm helps to make Retail Bake Businesses more efficient and profitable whilst offering improved quality

Convotherm, part of the world's largest manufacturer of professional kitchen technology, Welbilt, and a member of the Ali Group, is revolutionizing the retail business with its AI-based technology, ConvoSense. This makes Convotherm the global leader in the field of Optical Cooking. Convotherm ConvoSense is the optimal solution to meet current industry challenges. the company from Eglfing sets new standards in efficiency and profit optimization, thanks to its existing track record and ovens already in operation. Intelligent recognition of food optimizes processes, reduces training costs, and saves valuable resources. At the same time, it ensures that the correct product of the hightest quality is always produced. This leads to an increase in gross profit in the mid-double-digit percentage range – in some cases up to 40 percent.

The food retailer REWE already has more than 1,800 maxx pro BAKE ConvoSense combi ovens over 700 locations in daily use.  The energy-efficient combi ovens with ConvoSense offer of up to 150 different baked goods and 50 hot counter products fresh from the oven. REWE outlets that use combi ovens equipped with ConvoSense – optical food recognition – have been able to increase their sales in the bakery sector by a mid-double-digit percentage – and all that in a minimal space (about 1 sqm).

Using the maxx pro ConvoSense helps to improves environmental balance. The combi oven is designed for low water and energy consumption. The maxx pro ConvoSense uses around 28 percent less energy thanks to the energy-saving StandBy mode and boasts up to 18 percent shorter baking times than conventional ovens, as well as eleven percent faster heating times. Additionally, the Advanced Closed System optimizes heat and moisture in the cavity, significantly reducing water consumption. The automatic cleaning system, ConvoClean, further minimizes water consumption by adjusting cleaning cycles to the degree of contamination, making operation more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art optical sensors also open up new perspectives:

• 17 percent less food waste due to high detection rates.
• Reduced material usage through demand-oriented production.
• Approximately 30 percent better baking and cooking results compared to manually operated combi ovens.
• Maximum productivity with two maxx pro ConvoSense appliances stack on top of one another.

Thomas Weidhaas, Head of Sales Coordination Service and Senior Category Buyer Gastronomy at REWE, highlights the advantages: “The energy savings, reduced error rates, and the convenience of automatic cleaning convinced us to work with the maxx pro BAKE ConvoSense. These combi ovens operate highly efficiently and guarantee consistent quality with minimal operating costs."

Thanks to Convotherm’s combi oven technology and artificial intelligence, around 97 percent of the baking processes at REWE now run error-free. The integrated optical product recognition from PreciTaste® ensures that each product is recognized, and the correct cooking program is automatically set. This reduces sources of error, thereby lowering the use of material  and avoiding food waste.

Thomas Weidhaas emphasizes: “Convotherm is the first company that really understands how we, as a customer, operate in the food retail sector. They developed the perfect solution for us with the maxx pro BAKE ConvoSense. The use of these combi ovens simplifies the baking processes at REWE today. Every employee can bake with excellent results even without prior knowledge. Through networking, we can also view all baking processes in the market and send out  baking program and software updates via our network. Support for technical problems is also fast, as remote ‘viewing’ into the device is now possible."

Arndt Manter, Director of Product Management at Convotherm, adds: “For such a rollou, we are by the side of the client from the beginning through to implementation and operation and we even offer support afterwards. For this, we have developed the five-phase model. It starts with scope and analysis of needs, followed by the development and testing of menus and products. In the third phase, combi ovens are installed at pilot locations and the staff are trained. Only when the tests are positive and necessary adjustments are made does the final rollout take place, including employee training. Even after being implemented in the stores, we remain on board and offer our partners continuous support and service."

“Thanks to combi ovens equipped with ConvoSense. Convotherm offers the ideal solution for complex processes. They represent another step towards the kitchen of the future. Automated cooking processes lead to consistent results, save time, training, and costs, and reducing food waste. They support the hectic retail day and offer maximum efficiency as common processes can largely run automatically. Consistent quality can be achieved faster, more efficiently, and more reliably with our solution than before,” explains Claus Pedersen, Managing Director of Convotherm.

The future of cooking and baking in the retail sector is automated – as demonstrated by the use of the intelligent ConvoSense technology at REWE.

• For more information about ConvoSense
• For more information about Convotherm