Qstream Sales Performance Platform Helps illy caffè North America Deliver Customer Value and Enriched Brand Experience

With 100% Engagement, Mobile Game-based Solution Assures Essential Product Knowledge of Associates Across North American Operations

BURLINGTON, MA (January 29, 2015) – Qstream, developers of a new mobile platform for igniting high-performance sales teams in minutes a day, announced that illy caffè North America, a leading provider of super-premium coffee, is using Qstream’s enterprise solution to assure associates can deliver quality coffee knowledge and preparation from bean to cup. Using game mechanics and a Harvard-proven approach, the Qstream solution delivered 100 percent engagement and increased essential brand and product knowledge among sales staff as well as quality assurance, technical and administrative team members – simply by having them respond to scenario-based challenges via their smartphone or mobile device every few days.

illy caffè deployed Qstream for the internal North American team, and based on the enthusiastic response, now plans to expand use of the platform to include its consumer-facing staff at its branded cafés, where in-depth coffee knowledge is important to delivering an authentic brand experience.

“We wanted an efficient solution that allowed the sales team to stay in the field and at the same time create a learning methodology that maximizes the level of knowledge retention essential to the illy brand, ” said Mark Romano, senior director of education, quality & sustainability at illy caffè North America. “Our staff embraced the convenience of Qstream, and there was a general sense of camaraderie and friendly competition among individuals and departments. Our most seasoned associates found value in the way information was presented through the Qstream solution.”

Using Qstream on any mobile device, users respond to brief Q&A challenges via push notifications, followed by rich-media explanations that reinforce the best responses and strengthen skills. Built-in game mechanics engage users in a competition that’s fun and non-disruptive to work time. Qstream’s Predictive Insights Engine then sifts and analyzes response data to provide continuous real-time management updates, comparisons and trends on team capabilities, as well as targeted coaching actions that contribute to management’s ability to remediate gaps.

Through Qstream’s dashboards and insights data, illy was able to identify and address the needs of a strategic market segment by reinforcing key product knowledge needed by its team to be successful. “Education and training is core to the illy brand and links directly to the performance of many cafes, restaurants and hotel partners throughout the U.S. that serve illy products, ” Romano continued. “This is an innovative platform for knowledge reinforcement that we are applying to support our competitive advantage in the marketplace.”