Management Software

[part-time-operator]

that's a nice idea. more simple way to is make the coin mech count how many times its turned and then reset when you service. pretty straightforward to do but its sending the info home that is tricky.

[callmoo3]

7 MONTHS after creating this thread, I have finally started development on this now that my previous projects are complete.

I have completed a lot of the site today, I will start by just opening it for two people to help me test it out, suggest changes and features etc. If you are interested in this, please PM me!

Just a features I have completed so far:

Mobile Compatibility
- The website is responsive so is compatible for both computers and phone/tablets, great for on the move!

Site Management
- Manage details about your site such as the address and your site contact.
- View financial performance and data for the site.
- Edit financial settings for the site such as the commission rate, if any.

Machine Management
- Manage your machine details such as whether it is active, contents, manufacturer etc.
- Select what site your machine is located at.
- View machine specific financial performance and data.

Site Visit Reports
- Create a report every time you visit a site easily and quickly. This allows you to keep track of when you visited a site, whether you restocked, whether you cleaned etc.
- Input the amount of money taken from your machine on that visit and the amount of commission you owe the site (if any).
- You can select whether you have paid the site commission. If you prefer not to pay commission to your site whilst you are visiting and pay them the next time you visit etc then you can select that you have not paid them commission and you can view a page on the system which will tell you which sites have not been paid yet.
- Commission is automatically calculated based on the commission rate specified on the site management pages.

These are just the features SO FAR, there will be plenty more. This is being created based on what features I need so as said above, I need a few people to test out the system before public launch and suggest features that they feel others would find useful. PM me if you are interested!

This is currently best suited for bulk/toys/towers etc as opposed to snack and drink machines. I will however add in features to better suit snack, drink and washroom machines if there is a demand for this. The website, in it's current state, would still work for these however it is not designed for them...yet.

[callmoo3]

I was having a conversation a few weeks ago with our maintenance guy (he's a former electrical engineer) about how you would go about having a machine with a real time sales update!

Apparently you could quite easily fit 9 lasers in the lid of a machine that would measure the distance between the lid and the top of the pot in each column. It would then send a data message each time one of the lasers recorded a change via either the sites wi-fi or mobile GPS device fitted in the base of the machine. This would then add the sale to a spreadsheet on your computer.
I think the possibility of your towers telling you every time they sell a pot,or sell out of a particular line, is something I would sell my granny for!!!

The only problem is finding someone to write the relevant computer programme to interpret the signals it was getting, and then paying to convert the machines.

If I ever manage to get the maintenance guy to knock up a prototype for me I will let you know

Wow, that makes perfect sense! The cost of doing so would probably outweigh the advantages though, I don't imagine the electronics involved would be cheap.

[Charlie--]

Hi callmoo3,

Sounds a really interesting project that's coming along well and something I could see myself using in the future.

Keep up the good work

[PGBrew]

Hi all,

take a look at this website www.sweetamandas.com (type in as one word......otherwise you will be missdirected!). I saw them at the show a couple of weeks ago. I had a demo of access to machine stock and maintenance data from an installed base at various locations in the US via a mobile phone in London. Each machine has an onboard computer to process and distribute the data which then could be relayed to a machine operator to action. basically giving all the info detailed by previous posts!

Pete

[callmoo3]

Hi Pete,

That is very very cool, shame that they do not sell their kiosks to the public, I would be interested in seeing how much one of those costs!

Callum

[PGBrew]

They will sell to the public in the UK, thats why they were at the EAG. I think they go for about 20K. The thinking behind this is, if they sell units outside the US, the revenue bought in could be used to develope their US business.

[Mark@YorVend]

Wasn't there a guy on here last year with something very similar?

I seem to remember him plugging his idea, but again it was very expensive, and only really suitable for very large sites. As with this one the main problem is getting it located, I would have one of them off him tomorrow if he got me a 3 year deal with the 02 arena, or Doncaster Dome, or Butlins.
The problem is marketing something like this to a major customer, something way beyond the scope of even the most convincing sitefinder.

Nice to dream though...

[PGBrew]

I believe there was. Also at EAG was...bluemonkeyvending.com. Based in South Wales they offer a pick 'n' mix, £2 vend. Need to source stock through them and enter codes each time you refill.

[Style]

There are lots of complicated syetems but lets have a show of hands.

How many on here claim to use a complicated system but really only count the cardboard boxes they put out for the binman to work out how well they are doing?