Veteran78 Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I'd like to hear how you guys track what inventory is being placed into the machines. I'm struggling to find an effiencient way of managing this, as currently I'm taking pics with my phone, if I remember. Other times I've been relying on my memory which isn't the best either, and quite frustrating when I come to the machine to find the products that I had in there were sold out and can't for the life of me recall what it was that I had placed in there. Open to ideas from you veterans of the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I'd like to hear how you guys track what inventory is being placed into the machines. I'm struggling to find an effiencient way of managing this, as currently I'm taking pics with my phone, if I remember. Other times I've been relying on my memory which isn't the best either, and quite frustrating when I come to the machine to find the products that I had in there were sold out and can't for the life of me recall what it was that I had placed in there. Open to ideas from you veterans of the industry. Basically, I use a plan-o-gram which is a fancy name for a chart that lists each item in the machine and shows par levels. If I encounter items that are constantly selling out, then I raise the par level. Don't hesitate to double stack some of your most popular items ( two rows ), it offers less choices but gives the customer what they want. I also have the coin mech and validators listed on each plan-o-gram so I'll know what to bring if I get a call that one's not working. A good tip is to standardize your coin mechs and validators as much as possible so you can carry spares with you - saves a lot of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen watson Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Do you carry your "Plan-O-Gram" around with you, or do you leave it in the machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Do you carry your "Plan-O-Gram" around with you, or do you leave it in the machine? I have them all in a binder in the car so I can refer to it if I need to (selection completely empty) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reel Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Moondog, Havent you guys moved into the digital age by installing telemetry onto your machines where you can track the stock levels via a computer or a cell phone?. This makes keeping track of your machines and stock levels so easy. This saves time on the road, and you know what stock to take to fill each machine. I could go on and on with the advantages, however, I think its the way to go if your business is growing or of a reasonable size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veteran78 Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 Do you carry your "Plan-O-Gram" around with you, or do you leave it in the machine? What is Plan-O-Gram??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 What is Plan-O-Gram???See post #2 for explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veteran78 Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 See post #2 for explanation. Duh, I missed that post somehow. That really sounds like it could help a great deal. Are there any apps available to make this process digital? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jump1979man Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I use the credit card technology wesite to see what is selling and input that data into a spreadsheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Moondog, Havent you guys moved into the digital age by installing telemetry onto your machines where you can track the stock levels via a computer or a cell phone?. This makes keeping track of your machines and stock levels so easy. This saves time on the road, and you know what stock to take to fill each machine. I could go on and on with the advantages, however, I think its the way to go if your business is growing or of a reasonable size. I have to admit Ron, that I'm running a fairly redneck operation - of all the new fangled advances available, telemetry would be the one I'd go for but most of my machines are still non MDB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reel Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 If you can get away without the need for telemetry i would, its just another expense. i just find in my market which is known to be one of the most competitive in the country we need to offer potential customers the latest gear otherwise my competitors will. Nothing wrong with some old equipment Joel, i love the old AP 122/123 and Crane chilled snack machines they go on forever and so reliable. Some older American vending equipment are of excellent quality like your old Dixie Narco and Vendo drink machines they go on forever i love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen watson Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I'm going to fight it till I die. My old machines are way more reliable than my new ones. Technology is gopher. It just adds to the cost of running a business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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