Vending Machine Solution Share: *instinctools Score Awaiting client review n/a Date Published 9 October 2023 Reading Time 4-Minute Read How we developed a brand new product that would allow our client to diversify their service offering on the global market. The Background In the face of ever-changing market needs, especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic, our client was looking for business opportunities to expand their product expertise in cash processing to other industry areas. One of the ideas for a new project was the creation of a vending machine selling locally sourced organic food. With that solution, farmers and local producers would be able to access additional space to sell their fresh products, and city residents would have the opportunity to buy their favorite items at any time of the day, especially on weekends and holidays, when grocery stores are usually closed. The Challenge The vending solution developed for our client consisted of several parts, including IoT-enabled hardware, vending machine software based on cloud technology, and an online store. The main task for *instinctools as a technology partner was to develop a software and web application that enabled the fast and smooth operation of a vending machine in terms of orders, delivery, stock control, payments, and other essential processes. At the first stage of our cooperation with the client, we conducted a discovery workshop to identify technical requirements for the product and the results the customer wanted to achieve. After further research, we provided a project plan with the envisaged software architecture, which included an approach to software development, as well as information on the team’s composition and the project’s timeline. We aimed to build a scalable solution architecture focusing on thousands of machines to ensure that our client had minimal impact in software work when growing the business. The Solution An automated vending machine provides customers with fresh produce from local suppliers 24/7, without days off and closed hours. But what’s under the hood of this solution and the whole process from product supply to customer purchase? Each part enables consistent and smooth operation and interaction between all participants in the process. All of them have their own user experience with the software solution built by *instinctools dedicated team. Vending machine administrators The farmers or grocery store owners Delivery managers (or refillers) End customers The work of machine administrators was similar to that of a small plant with a fully-fledged management system allowing them to import suppliers, grant or take access, book slots for future products, and organize the delivery process. They were given all the data in they needed and could remotely manage all vending machines, the warehouse, product turnover, and suppliers. With IoT-enabled hardware, vending machine administrators were able to monitor a refrigerator’s temperature remotely, as well as the sell-by dates of products to ensure their freshness. The farmers and grocery stores were given a flexible schedule of the machine shelves so that they could book available slots for further delivery and the placement of organic food. Customers can visit the closest vending machine or the online store to find, book, and buy fresh organic products 24/7. Users can see the information about a product and its producer and pay for the order online or through a vending machine. Key Features – Refill process management of perishable goods with sell-by dates – IoT solution for remote temperature monitoring – Warehouse logistics and product turnover management – Flexible schedule for booking slots in the vending machine – Convenient payment system via the web app or a vending machine – Modern and intuitive client interface for all stakeholders The Result With a limited budget and time, the MVP we built promptly allowed our customer to successfully launch the project and test it on the local German market. The project’s payback for the client was justified by the solution’s value for local producers and the demand among city residents to buy their favorite fresh organic food at any time of the day or week and especially on weekends. Our customer can scale this business project by manufacturing this vending solution for various regional markets, and partnering with local producers enabling easy and safe product sales. Our expertise in the development of this solution can be helpful for businesses and projects related to storage, management, and the delivery of perishable goods, as well as vending or parcel machine providers. Leave us a note if you have a similar project idea and are interested in implementing it in your region. We are committed to delivering top-tier quality solutions for better results in your business model.