Like any machinery and equipment, vending machines are prone to failure or poor performance. While some machinery sections are rather sophisticated and require skilled handling, most are simple to maintain, even with limited technical knowledge. In other words, timely DIY vending machine maintenance may keep downtime minimal.
Mean time between failures (MTBF) is essential for determining machine productivity and uptime. The longer the MTBF, the better the machine will be utilized. When the MTBF is low, it is not simply a matter of machine utilization. Unplanned downtime can have a wide-ranging impact on a vending firm.
Impact on revenue and competition
The vending machine is the point of value creation in the vending industry. Customers cannot buy from it if it is not operational. This results in a direct revenue loss. A frequent outage indicates that the vending machine software is idling. Assume that your competitors have installed machines in the exact location. In that instance, your revenue will begin to flow to your competitor. This enables your competitors to charge excellent prices and earn more for each machine.
Unrecovered capital
Vending machines are considered capital equipment. Businesses invest in them and recoup the funds during the life of the device. An idle machine will take longer to recuperate the cash invested. If your company has many devices installed in different places, unrecovered capital may punish you harder. The greater the volume of transactions, the faster your RoCE (Returns on Capital Employed) will be. It is critical to ensure that the equipment does not go out of service to reach this milestone as soon as possible.
Cost of upkeep
Machines that fail frequently necessitate ongoing maintenance and care. User abuse, ambient operating conditions, insufficient preventive maintenance, or even aging equipment could all contribute to the failure. Restoring the machine will necessitate an investment in parts, consumables, and the time of qualified experts.
Lost customer base
Customers who cannot transact with your machine because they are cold will hunt for nearby alternatives. They will use a competitor’s machine if one is available. When this occurs frequently enough, the end-user will ultimately walk directly to the device they know will continuously operate. Your vending apps machine’s customer base will dwindle over time if it experiences frequent outages.
The loss of trust from partners
Your partners are the businesses where you place your machines. They have agreed to provide your vending company access to their consumer base. As a result, customers will want your vending machines to provide the finest customer experience possible. They will want to conduct more business with vending machines that serve their consumers better than ones often out of service.
Causes of downtime
A vending machine in need of repair might cause more harm than simply losing money from a few transactions. This is easily avoidable by taking the proper corrective actions. To make such efforts, however, it is necessary to understand what causes smart vending machine failure. Several of these factors are covered more below:
Machine repairs
During their activities, all forms of machinery suffer from wear and tear. Vending machines are not immune to this. Moving components, such as the dispensing mechanism, might sustain frictional damage. Power surges can cause electronic components to fail. Simple tools, such as the doors on the collection tray, might rust over time. Parts from used machines may have reached the end of their functional life. User abuse can also result in repairs that can put a good website down.
Stocking issues
Another typical reason for vending machine downtime is issues caused by improper stacking. Potato chips are an excellent example of a product that comes in a bag. The bags frequently become entangled in the side rails between or under the coils. A candy bar on the metal coil can jam two bars together, rendering the entire line inoperable. Most operators do not inspect each product for a successful vend after stocking.
Site conditions
Vending machines that sell beverages or other perishable goods are subject to environmental factors. Excessive sun exposure may cause the refrigeration compressor to overheat. Dust can clog the air circulation system and suffocate the refrigeration system. Poor flooring can potentially cause the machine to tip over. In hot weather, chocolate bars melt and become trapped in the machine. These are examples of how environmental factors might lead to vending machine problems.
Preventing unplanned downtime in vending machines
Regular preventative maintenance can significantly reduce equipment downtime. Using the proper parts can assist you in increasing MTBF. Operating the machine according to specifications can help to reduce failures caused by overloading or mishandling. Idling engines can be avoided by ensuring the availability of supply.
Conclusion
As discussed throughout this guide, Vending software alters machine management through automation, cloud connectivity, and data-driven insights. Operators may improve all elements of their business with solutions like Linkitsoft.
Companies that deploy a capable vending management system can decrease expenses through better inventory and technician routing while increasing revenues. Cashless payments broaden market opportunities. Granular sales data reveals previously unknown prospects for increased profitability.
Leading operators will continue to innovate through cutting-edge software integration in the future. As the vending business grows more high-tech, better analytics, expanded consumer engagement, and internet-connected devices will determine the future.
Integrating a contemporary vending management system is critical to generating growth and profits in today’s competitive landscape. As software capabilities advance, businesses should begin laying connected, data-driven foundations to reap the benefits. Vending software provides dramatic company benefits when used strategically.
To remotely manage and monitor your clusters of smart vending machines, smart lockers, intelligent coffee vending machines, smart vending fridges, and self-service food ordering payment kiosks in dispersed locations, use Linkitsoft’s vending machine application, a cloud-based brilliant vending management service that can be accessed from anywhere on any compatible device, such as PCs, smartphones, tablets, and so on. Because of the real-time visibility of Linkitsoft’s intelligent vending machine software, the operator may oversee innovative retail operations anytime and from any location.