Case Study: From Photo to On-Trade Report in 5 Seconds Using IR

Quick Project Overview 

• AI-powered solution: Customized AI Shelf Image Recognition software optimized for on-trade environments, with instant validation and automated reporting 

• Proven results: 98% recognition accuracy, near-real-time reporting, significant time savings, NPS of 50 

• Business value: Improved contractual compliance, automated billing for shared beer lines, and actionable category insights 

Client Snapshot 

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is the world’s largest brewing company, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. It produces a diverse portfolio of over 500 iconic beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Corona. SSBS has been partnering with AB InBev for 15 years. 

Budweiser Brewing Group is a part of the regional operating business of AB InBev in the UK & Ireland. It is responsible for brewing, marketing, and selling AB InBev’s beer brands in those locations.

Client Goals & Expectations 

The client manages a nationwide team that supports over 40,000 pubs and clubs in the installation, maintenance, and servicing of draft beer. 

That’s a huge number of sales points for the company’s specialists to visit. Each visit is different, and specialists focus on what’s needed at the time. This may include: 

• Install and service draft beer systems 

• Check line condition and overall system quality 

• Review tap layouts and brand-to-line connections 

• Confirm setups match contractual agreements 

• Identify shared lines and flag inconsistencies 

• Record changes made during the visit 

When issues arise, specialists step in to diagnose problems, carry out repairs or replacements, and make sure the draft system is fully operational before the visit ends. 

At the same time, the company also uses these visits as an opportunity to capture valuable data. 

To gather data from those points of sale, the team relied on manual processes through the CRM and several separate applications. Manual data entry made the work slow, cumbersome, and prone to errors. 

The goal of documenting visits was to ensure contracts were fulfilled, spot new revenue opportunities from shared beer lines, and gather insights for long-term category and portfolio planning – all without adding extra work for the field teams. 

Core Challenge 

As service volumes grew, the manual approach of Budweiser Brewing Group became even more difficult to scale.  

Image Recognition is the exact technology that such a company would use in off-trade. However, in the on-trade environment with its typical for bars and clubs low-light conditions, the standard use of this technology was unreliable. 

Adopted Solution 

The client partnered with SoftServe Business Systems to adapt Image Recognition to the realities of on-trade service work. 

Instead of applying a retail-style model, we took our pre-built AI-driven Shelf Image Recognition solution and customized it to work in low-light cellars and visually cluttered spaces.  

That meant changing how the neural networks at the core of the solution were trained.  

The models were trained on real cellar imagery, including uneven lighting, blocked views, awkward angles, and non-standard setups.

As a result, the customized solution now helps technicians capture accurate data efficiently during service visits and generate reports in near real time – just five seconds.  

Business Impact

The solution cut the time needed to capture data during each visit, letting technicians handle more service calls each day. 

It strengthened contract compliance, ensured accurate billing for shared beer lines, and generated reliable data for category analysis and portfolio planning. 

Today, the tool covers the full range of on-trade audits for Budweiser Brewing Group. It tracks SKUs, price tags, taps, fridge contents, and brand share. This gives managers actionable insights and raises the bar for on-trade execution. 

In short, the Image Recognition solution, adjusted for on-trade conditions by SoftServe Business Systems, delivered: 

• Instant photo validation and automated recognition of assets across venues 

• Tracking bar-top tap share, including ‘T’ bars and different tap designs 

• Reviewing fridge contents and calculating brand share 

• Recognizing 1,000+ SKUs 

• Compliance notifications to improve retail execution 

• Near real-time data synchronization (under 30 seconds) 

• Fast reporting and seamless integration with the end-to-end ecosystem 

• High accuracy, reaching up to 98%