Silverstone University Technical College (UTC), located at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit, delivers GCSE and A-level education to around 300 students, specialising in high-performance engineering and technical events management. The college’s caterers, from contractor Harrison Catering, needed a secure solution to give busy students a fast lunchtime pitstop.
To achieve this, Silverstone introduced the innovative Fusion Cashless system, which offers lightning-fast transaction speeds, powerful real-time data insights, and enhanced cybersecurity protection.
Fusion Cashless reduced canteen queues by 10 minutes
Students and staff love their new, faster lunch service, with Fusion’s speedy transactions helping caterers serve students in record time.
Business Manager Dean Johnson saw a huge reduction in wait times:
“We have a 20-minute break and a 50-minute lunch. I would say that both the queues have been reduced by 10 minutes. It's to do with how fast we can get them through the till. That transaction process is a lot faster.”
Accelerated service speeds have significantly improved Silverstone’s broader operations, allowing the college to reduce lunch breaks from 50 to 40 minutes:
“It's massive for us because we've reduced our lunchtime. So, we now have a 40-minute lunch and actually everybody's through within 20 minutes, which is great.”
Fast biometric system students love
Thanks to seamless iDStore integration, students quickly and securely access their Fusion cashless accounts using a fingerprint scanner at the POS, significantly boosting service speed.
Catering Manager Donnah Kyomukama immediately saw improved transaction speeds:
“Once students have their fingerprints, it’s easy to go through the till. The queues always go so smoothly and very fast.”
This efficiency has improved students’ experience of on-site catering, driving uptake:
“They used to run away from the canteen, but because the speed of service improved and the queues go so fast, more students are coming in.”
Easy and practical data insights
Fast access to detailed information is equally crucial for Donnah. Fusion’s user-friendly reporting helps to complete regular tasks quickly:
“I give feedback at the end of the week and month on the top-selling items, number of main meals and free school meals sold. It is helping a lot because all I have to do is download it, then send it to my manager.”
Plus, Donnah can quickly delve into sales data to accurately forecast demand, minimise food waste and satisfy hungry students:
“I like the back office because it's quick to go through when I want information: how much I’ve sold, what's my top seller, what's my worst seller, and things like that. It's easy and clear.”
Stress-free implementation, training and support
To prevent disruption for students and staff, CRB Cunningham's engineers began with remote preparations before completing a seamless installation on-site.
Caterers then received comprehensive in-person training with tailored sessions to help them become proficient in using the Fusion POS and back-office systems.
Dean said of Solutions Trainer Kate Deighton:
“It was her approach. She made it really easy to understand and went back if staff needed to go over it again. The training was excellent.”
Then, it was ‘lights out and away we go’, and Kate was on hand to ensure Silverstone’s first day using Fusion was a success:
“Service ran smoothly during break and lunchtime - everyone was invested. Staff handled the new system efficiently and calmly. It was as if they had always been using it!”
A thriving cashless catering partnership
When setting out to modernise the college’s cashless catering system, Dean knew that he could rely on CRB Cunninghams:
“I've worked with CRB Cunninghams before, many years ago, and I've always found them really professional; they get back to us really quickly. It's very rare that I have to wait, which is fantastic; operationally, it makes my job a lot easier.”
After seeing significant improvements in service speed and efficiency, Dean happily reflected that switching to Fusion Cashless was the right choice for Silverstone:
“I would recommend Fusion Cashless to other schools and colleges; you get the product and the excellent support that goes with it.”
