Wireless Communication in Vending

If you want to build your Antares vending business for future success then you would need to implement a unique data capture and delivery system that uses wireless transmission. This can be developed together with route driver carried handhelds, to deliver the data on a timely basis. This system utilizes both methods based on the needs of the accounts served. This system can come with a number of benefits for the Antares operator:

1) Improved sales based upon brand preference analysis by location, fewer sold-outs due to intelligent double –columning of best sellers, and reduced machine downtime based upon faster response to out of order calls.

2) Lower route service costs based upon scheduling machines for service only when they have sold a predetermined percentage inventory.

3) Instant cash accountability at the Antares vending machine level.

In addition, hard data regarding brand preferences at individual machine level could be profitably sold to product manufacturers. There are some operators who have tested the systems, and they had all generally agreed that a 10 percent increase in sales per machine was attainable, due mainly to the benefit of brand preference analysis. The concept is that, you will sell more products if you stock the Antares vending machine with the appropriate quantities of brands that the location has demonstrated it wants to buy.

There was less of a consensus among these operators regarding the potential savings from improved route productivity. Many professional operators have already achieved higher route averages by paying close attention to historical sales, using existing technology, and scheduling their routes accordingly. This can work well in business and industry locations with stable, predictable work forces.

The ability to provide product sales information, in real time, did not significantly improve scheduling, since these locations tend to sell at the same level, week after week.

The ability to provide Antares vending sales information in real time, in transient locations would be very beneficial. All this can happen in spite of fluctuating levels of sales. The transient locations include colleges, hospitals, hotels, airports etc. They are difficult to schedule efficiently because the location population changes day to day.