How do you orangize your warehouses and fill orders?

[Beach Bum Vending]

My Question is for all the big boy vendors out there. 

What kind of software system and tracking of sales and product do you have in place?

I had a small route in mid west and understand machines how they work and can work on machines.

But when I start to build my route back up down south here.  I would like to do it smart way first and right one time with out all head aches of upgrading machines.    I found the fast fetch system pretty interesting wondering if anyone here use it or has demoed it?  http://fastfetchusa.com/%C2'>

 

I look forward to all your responses. 

 

Thanks, all 

 

 

[moondog]

My Question is for all the big boy vendors out there. 

What kind of software system and tracking of sales and product do you have in place?

I had a small route in mid west and understand machines how they work and can work on machines.

But when I start to build my route back up down south here.  I would like to do it smart way first and right one time with out all head aches of upgrading machines.    I found the fast fetch system pretty interesting wondering if anyone here use it or has demoed it? 

 

I look forward to all your responses. 

 

Thanks, all 

 

Not sure if I'm big enough to answer this but if you're doing a small to medium sized rout I doubt you could justify the extra expense involved with telemetry and prekitting.  You'd need to have all DEX capable machines (not cheap) and then pay a monthly fee for the service and hope you've got access to Wifi

 

I use a hybrid system where I'll pack all my items in several plastic storage boxes for the low to medium volume machines and pack more boxes with specific items for each individual high volume machine.  The storage boxes are the "under bed" style that fit perfectly on my convertible hand truck and I can stack them 6 high so I'm only making one trip to service the snack machine(s).

 

The other thing I use are plan-o-grams which chart each machine by item.  Setting your machines up ahead of time with the proper coils and pushers for specific items really helps in the long run.  The key to this is to always keep each item in the same place.

[Beach Bum Vending]

Thanks for the reply moondog and yes I plan to track each item and to pre kit the machines.  But how much more is the dex capable machines and is that what it is called and what I look for when I go to purchase new  or slightly used machines.  Like i said I would like to buy smarter up front  I know going take little longer to grow in the start because the dex machines and the warehouse system is so much of a cost.   But what I see in future and how the technology is going and trending. Is if I buy older used machines  on dex capable and non credit card capable.  That my fear is in 5-10 years the machines will be worthless and we will be just pushing them off back of truck for scrap price. I see that these older single price machines and the older machines will be going away and the accounts won't want them anymore once they see more and more of this modern machines and the convenience they provide they won't want old machines.  Everything is about convenience now a days and only getting more and more that way.  All the drive thru's on everything and the click and buy and just see  the  cc out performing good old cash in next decade.  I just like prepare and position myself  for the future when the time and technology arrive as the standard and norm.     Just my thoughts    does everyone think I am guessing the future and way people will vend properly?    Would like to know what all your others thoughts are and how you see the future of the industry?   

 

Thanks all,

[mission vending]

Thanks for the reply moondog and yes I plan to track each item and to pre kit the machines.  But how much more is the dex capable machines and is that what it is called and what I look for when I go to purchase new  or slightly used machines.  Like i said I would like to buy smarter up front  I know going take little longer to grow in the start because the dex machines and the warehouse system is so much of a cost.   But what I see in future and how the technology is going and trending. Is if I buy older used machines  on dex capable and non credit card capable.  That my fear is in 5-10 years the machines will be worthless and we will be just pushing them off back of truck for scrap price. I see that these older single price machines and the older machines will be going away and the accounts won't want them anymore once they see more and more of this modern machines and the convenience they provide they won't want old machines.  Everything is about convenience now a days and only getting more and more that way.  All the drive thru's on everything and the click and buy and just see  the  cc out performing good old cash in next decade.  I just like prepare and position myself  for the future when the time and technology arrive as the standard and norm.     Just my thoughts    does everyone think I am guessing the future and way people will vend properly?    Would like to know what all your others thoughts are and how you see the future of the industry?   

 

Thanks all,

 

That's a good plan. Still working to get all the machines out in the field to be MDB and DEX capable. Its hard to justify taking a old single price machine off of location that works reliably and cranks 300-400 a month, every month just because. The plan has to been that as machines come off location that if they are not upgradable then they are replaced. For the last 4 years or so I have only bought older equipment for the purpose reselling it.

 

With three full routes going the jump to some sort of automated inventory system will happen in the next couple of years.

[moondog]

Thanks for the reply moondog and yes I plan to track each item and to pre kit the machines.  But how much more is the dex capable machines and is that what it is called and what I look for when I go to purchase new  or slightly used machines.  Like i said I would like to buy smarter up front  I know going take little longer to grow in the start because the dex machines and the warehouse system is so much of a cost.   But what I see in future and how the technology is going and trending. Is if I buy older used machines  on dex capable and non credit card capable.  That my fear is in 5-10 years the machines will be worthless and we will be just pushing them off back of truck for scrap price. I see that these older single price machines and the older machines will be going away and the accounts won't want them anymore once they see more and more of this modern machines and the convenience they provide they won't want old machines.  Everything is about convenience now a days and only getting more and more that way.  All the drive thru's on everything and the click and buy and just see  the  cc out performing good old cash in next decade.  I just like prepare and position myself  for the future when the time and technology arrive as the standard and norm.     Just my thoughts    does everyone think I am guessing the future and way people will vend properly?    Would like to know what all your others thoughts are and how you see the future of the industry?   

 

Thanks all,

 

I think that the industry is definitely going the way you do.  For me it's an economic question.  I can upgrade many of my current machines to MDB and DEX when the time comes (see the VE stuff) but I don't have any crystal ball and just can't say exactly what the future holds so I'm being real cautious about wholesale upgrades that I may never get to utilize. 

[andyinchville]

HI,

 

FWIW I think maybe the best plan is to only use as much machine as a site will justify...

 

Example : a small (low employee count / traffic count) location may be OK w/ a single price change only machine (heck no other vendor may even want that site) , a mid size business / mid traffic location may would probably warrant a larger machine (say a 4 wide with bill validator), while a high volume location (the ones most vendors may actively seek out) may require a large "high tech" large 5 wide  machine (or machines if the site is that big)  that takes credit cards etc....actually having a nice machine and providing good service would tend to help keep out other vendors from taking your location. However, truthfully I find that having a decent machine, good service and reasonable pricing will keep  other vendors at bay. 

 

Andrew

 

PS - I have a fair number of older Toms machines (came with the route, I didn't actually go out and buy them) still out in the field but we service the machines like clockwork and keep the prices low and we don't worry about people with their shiny new machines (don't get me wrong I would love to have a fleet of high tech machines BUT I find it best to use older and decent looking machines to get more locations for less overall $$ spent on machines and higher overall income).