How John Deere used Mashgin’s AI Checkout kiosks to increase employee cafe participation 15% and sales 20%
John Deere, officially Deere & Company, is a global leader in the manufacturing of agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains used in heavy equipment, and lawn care equipment. Founded in 1837 by John Deere, the company is renowned for its iconic green and yellow livery and its commitment to quality and innovation in serving those who work the land. John Deere operates a vast network of dealerships and facilities worldwide, playing a pivotal role in industries vital to global infrastructure and food production.
For its headquarters campus, John Deere partners with Aramark to provide comprehensive food services, ensuring employees have access to a variety of dining options throughout their workday. Aramark, a global leader in food, facilities, and uniform services, manages the daily operations of John Deere's corporate dining facilities, including cafeterias, cafes, and catering for meetings and events. This partnership aims to enhance the employee experience by offering nutritious and appealing meal choices, fostering a productive and satisfying work environment for the thousands of individuals who contribute to John Deere's ongoing success.
Barb Goersch has been working for Aramark for over 11 years and leads foodservice operations for the employees of John Deere.
Food service operators have a hard problem to solve - delivering phenomenal meals and customer service while thoughtfully optimizing the costs of providing it. One of the most challenging parts of the equation is balancing great speed of service with the number of staff necessary to keep lines short.
Putting more employees on shift during lunch hour is one way to keep lines short, but limits staffing availability for keeping services available during other parts of the day. There are also physical limitations to how many POS terminals can fit into a given space, putting a hard cap on throughput by traditional means.
Aramark is always searching for ways to creatively solve these competing priorities through technology, which lead it to become an early adopter of Mashgin, the world’s fastest AI checkout system. Mashgin’s kiosks use cameras and artificial intelligence to instantly ring up items using size, shape, and color rather than barcodes. This allows guests to simply place down a full tray of food, drinks, and snacks, then pay immediately without waiting for anyone to ring them up. Mashgin is now used in hundreds of Aramark’s business dining locations.
Learning about Mashgin through her colleagues and seeking ways to improve both speed of service and increase hours of operation, Barb decided to bring Mashgin to John Deere HQ. After consulting with the Mashgin team on optimal customer flow and placement, Barb had Mashgin deploy 8 AI checkout kiosks across 5 dining locations
The results were immediate and profound - employees at John Deere were able to complete transactions in 13 seconds on average, which is roughly 400% faster than transactions on a traditional POS with a cashier. Lines quickly shortened and within 2 weeks employee participation at John Deere increased by 15% while total sales were up 20%.
Barb was thrilled with the results, saying “I have a deep love for Mashgin and what it has done for our business,” and advocating for Mashgin at additional cafes. She also noted that the technology was easy to use for both guests and staff, citing the simplicity of adding new items to the menu and the ease with which employees could check out.
"I have a deep love for Mashgin and what it has done for our business."
John Deere’s cafe saw a significant boost of sales in only 2 weeks
Employees check out in 13 seconds on average, dramatically faster than traditional POS
Employee participation in cafe dining jumped 15% in response to shorter lines