If you’re a coffee or vending machine operator, you’ve probably encountered the frustration of unnecessary trips to your machines. Trips to check stock levels or restock machines to find that they’re not yet low on popular items. Moreover, you might find employees making technical visits based on outdated or inaccurate information about the machines’ status, or worse, without the appropriate tools for the job. These situations are not only costly but also incredibly time-consuming.
One of the most crucial, yet often underappreciated, elements of running a successful vending or coffee business is effective route planning.
Our data shows that operators can save up to 40% on routing costs by planning trips beforehand – visiting only those machines that currently require filling, repair or encashment.
Whether you’re managing a fleet of vending machines or operating a coffee business, having the right route planning tools can make a significant difference in your business’s performance and profitability. Here is when Vendon Route Planning steps in – simplifying the whole route planning process. Think of Vendon Route Planning as having a central command center for your machines, ensuring your team always knows where to go and what to take with them, making their jobs a breeze, and your business optimized!
Stumbling in the Dark: Managing Routes Without Advanced Tools
Managing routes without advanced tools can be a challenging and inefficient process. Operators often rely on manual processes and outdated information, leading to inefficient routing that unfortunately wastes time and fuel. This not only increases operational costs but also makes the job more demanding due to the management of unpredictable schedules.
Without real-time data, operators might visit machines that don’t need restocking while missing those that are low on stock or need repairs. This can result in empty machines, unhappy customers, and lost sales. Furthermore, machines that miss out on timely maintenance also suffer from more frequent downtimes, which, again, can frustrate customers and reduce their trust in the service.
Additionally, the lack of advanced tools limits the ability to manage machines remotely. Without remote price changes, operators must visit each machine to update pricing, causing delays and inconsistencies. Similarly, without Remote Reboot options, minor technical issues require on-site visits, increasing downtime and costs. This inefficiency leads to higher maintenance expenses, frequent disruptions, and a less responsive service, ultimately diminishing customer satisfaction and trust.
Vendon Route Planning and Its Key features
In industries where efficiency and reliability are paramount, the lack of advanced route management tools poses a significant and costly challenge. Vendon Route Planning is a solution designed to provide vending and coffee operators with precise, real-time data allowing them to prioritize and plan visits effectively, cutting down on unnecessary trips and minimizing downtime.
Key Features:
- Flexible route setup with custom filters allowing for tailored route planning based on various parameters, not just stock levels
- Detailed cash control involving setting cash thresholds, managing tube levels, and planning cash collection tasks
- Technical maintenance, involving the identification and fixing of machine issues, and improving their longevity
- Dynamic route updates facilitating easy employee management and schedule changes
- Customizable picklist with detailed information to fit the needs of smooth refill process
- Various machine filtering options to sort or organize machines based on different criteria
- Expiry date set up and management
- Easy to use Vendon Mobile App
The Power of Route Planning
Effective route planning is all about determining the most efficient routes and schedules for servicing your machines. Imagine reducing travel time, cutting fuel costs, and maximizing the number of machines you can service in a day—all while keeping your customers happy. That’s the power of effective route planning.
With Vendon Route Planning, instead of visiting every machine every day, you receive precise information about stock, technical events, and encashment data through Vendon Cloud. Operators can use Route Planning to filter out machines with lower stock levels, those needing technical maintenance, or requiring encashment. They can also filter products by expiry dates or create custom filters for tasks like cleaning the machine or reordering product layout. Once the operator has identified which machines need attention, a route can be generated. This involves assigning personnel to each location, adding tasks, and creating picklists.
Real life Use Case of Vendon Route Planning in action
Consider the real-life use case of Kaffeemax, a company that has transformed its warehouse management with Vendon’s solutions. By leveraging real-time data, they only stock what’s necessary, significantly minimizing warehouse space and reducing costs. CEO of Kaffeemax, Rainer Sauer explains that Vendon allows them to operate a much smaller warehouse since goods can be procured just when needed. They can see in advance what is required, eliminating the need to keep a large amount of stock and ensuring they only fill what’s necessary.
Furthermore, Rainer emphasizes the benefits of the Route Planning tool for employee management:
“The most powerful tool for us is Route Planning because it helps us create a stable daily routine. If employees are sick or on vacation, we can reschedule and rearrange things in seconds.” Additionally, he highlights the efficiency gained through Vendon’s telemetry: “I would say we can run 30% more machines with the same employees compared to if we had no telemetry.”
Vendon is crucial in making their employees more efficient and simplifies training new staff, as the equipment can be easily filled with data retrieved from Vendon Cloud. Beyond efficiency, Vendon Route Planning also offers remote management capabilities, such as price adjustments and technical troubleshooting, which further streamline operations and enhance service quality. This comprehensive approach not only saves time and money but also ensures a superior experience for both operators and customers.
Key benefits of Route Planning:
| Risparmi sui costi | Achieve significant cost savings through data-driven decisions, avoiding unnecessary visits, reducing fuel costs, and minimizing machine downtime. |
| Stock and warehouse management | Optimize stock and warehouse management by accurately predicting demand and stocking only what's necessary, thus minimizing excess inventory and storage costs. |
| Staff management | Establish stable daily routines and make quick adjustments to employee schedules with ease. Vendon Route Planning enables efficient allocation of resources, ensuring optimal productivity and customer service. |
| Real-time monitoring | Gain insights into consumption patterns and maintain precise control over stock levels in real-time. This enables proactive decision-making, prevents stockouts, and ensures uninterrupted service to customers. |
| Maximized machine uptime | Proactively address maintenance issues and manage stock levels effectively to minimize downtime and maximize revenue potential. Vendon Route Planning ensures that machines are serviced promptly, reducing the risk of disruptions to operations. |
| Increased customer satisfaction | Deliver timely and efficient servicing to clients, enhancing overall customer experience and loyalty. By ensuring that machines are consistently well-stocked and maintained, Vendon Route Planning helps operators meet customer demands effectively. |
| On-the-go management | Vendon Mobile app support ensures seamless task management for refillers and technicians, providing real-time updates and enabling quick responses to changing circumstances. Whether it's restocking inventory or addressing maintenance issues, Vendon Route Planning keeps operations running smoothly while on the move. |
How to start with Route Planning?
To get started with Route Planning, whether you’re an experienced user of Vendon Cloud or just getting started, rest assured that Vendon Route Planning will be an essential tool for your business. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you in understanding how Vendon Route Planning can enhance your operations and drive efficiency.
Richiedi una dimostrazione GRATUITA!
We invite you to schedule a free demo session with our team. During this session, we’ll walk you through the basics of Route Planning and guide you through the tools of Route Planning based on your needs and setup process. This personalized demonstration will help you quickly get up to speed and highlight you how Vendon Route Planning can help you to optimize your business.
Our goal is to ensure you feel confident and equipped before making a decision. So, take the first step towards streamlined and efficient route management by scheduling your demo today!
