Vending Machine Management System
VENDING MACHINE SYSTEM |
Challenge
Our customer originally reached out to us to refine the automation of their line of ice and water vending machines. The concept of building an ecosystem of always-connected vending machines, providing operators with real-time monitoring and control of their fleet, developed from this initial collaboration.
Throughout the process, our team embraced the task of learning and understanding the application and challenges specific to vending machine operation, working closely with our partner to design and develop a comprehensive monitoring and management solution which allows them to support their clients and allows their clients to manage their machines more effectively and efficiently.
Solution
Our team maintained Prism’s consistent commitment to being a total solution provider, developing additional custom software components to complement our custom Vending Machine Controller. Below are several highlights of components developed for the solution ecosystem.
Custom Vending Machine Controller
User Interaction
Product Vending Operation
Machine / Component Monitoring and Control
Communication with Cloud-based endpoints for centralized data storage
Web Portal
Comprehensive Machine Management Platform for machine operators
Extensive Historical Data Retention and Reporting
Remote Updates to Machine Control Systems and VMC
Cross Platform Mobile Application
Remote Machine Monitoring, Control and Reporting
Notifications for Machine Events, Low Consumable Inventory and others
Robust and Redundant Communications Infrastructure
Local Data Buffering during communication interruption
Redundant Communication Endpoints for reliability and scalability
Features
Always-on remote connectivity supports monitoring and notifications.
Supports both manufacturer-supplied cellular data connection and customer-provided wired or wireless connectivity.
Remote Machine Monitoring and Control.
Automated notifications regarding machine status and service required, including low consumable inventory.
Custom VMC monitors application-specific components, including power usage, water usage, RO filter system effectiveness, etc.
Power and Water Usage Monitoring and Reporting.
Remote field updates and troubleshooting.
Cross-platform mobile app interface provides quick, easy access to machine monitoring, management and operational reporting.
Summary
Not only did our team fulfill the original customer requirements, they worked with stakeholders to design and develop a comprehensive system that gives our customer an advantage over their competition.
Our customer recognizes the value that Prism provides, and we continue to work with them to develop new components and refine the system to match continuously changing market conditions.
