Pre-kitting with DEX

[EdsVending]

I recently have became fascinated with the thought of pre-kitting and using DEX.  I love that DEX allows me to see exactly what items sold and how much cash I should be collecting, which allows driver accountability.  Is anybody doing this?  How are you doing it?  Handhelds? RMM?  What VMS do you like?  Thanks in advance!

[AngryChris]

Although there are methods of using only DEX to prekit, the truth of the matter is that the most real-time way to pre-kit accurately is with telemetry.  So, without some sort of communication device such as the modem on a credit card reader, you cannot get the information you are referring to.  I believe that the primary method for using DEX to pre-kit without telemetry is by using DEX information from the previous delivery.  While it is probably a pretty decent method, I believe it would only work well for accounts that generate an average of $100 per machine per week.  With numbers like those, it's okay to fill the machines completely full in most cases, and $100 isn't enough to wipe most machines out.  Although the dex information from the previous week is obviously not accurate for the sales when you get to the location on the next service, it will even out over time.  Some weeks you'll bring too much, and some weeks not enough.  If you try this on slow locations (which obviously don't warrant credit card readers either) then you run into problems with stales and DEX information could potentially be useless.  With very large locations, DEX-only might work out if you service the machines often enough, but you risk not coming with enough product (and losing sales) and let's be honest.. large accounts should probably have credit card readers.

I think using telemetry is the way to go.  In fact, I believe that the benefits of a CC reader outweigh the costs even when you don't get a huge spike in sales.  You offer an additional form of payment should your bill acceptor or coin mech fail, and having sales information available can give you a great heads up should something happen. 

Hopefully, someone else chimes in because I know there are a few members that use historical sales from DEX to pre-kit. 

[Southeast Treats]

I started using ParLevel VMS and prekitting both online (DEX) machines and predictive prekitting for my offline machines.  The online prekitting is excellent, it cuts the time on location in half.  Some of that time of course gets used to pack your totes, but working in a well organized room with AC makes that work go pretty fast as well, and you get more accounts serviced each day.  The predictive prekitting works pretty good, but you do end up dealing with excess inventory brought back from those prekits, as the program just works off of averages and of course is not as precise as having DEX.   ParLevel uses a system with a telemetry unit that can be bought with or without a credit card reader, so if you don't want to add the credit cards you don't have to pay for the extra hardware.  I would almost always add the credit cards though.  Or, USAT will rent or lease you their telemetry/card units (minimum of 10 last time I checked) so you don't have the upfront cost of buying the hardware.