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Case study 01 · Vending operations

1,500+ machines. one connected operation. 24% lower direct costs.

unbottle. connected a fragmented vending fleet, turned raw machine data into operational intelligence, and cut direct operational costs by 24%.

The bottleneck

More than 1,500 vending machines.

Multiple brands. Different levels of connectivity.

Our client, a European vending operator, had a visibility problem. Some machines transmitted data. Most didn't. Stock depletion, replenishment, service routes and equipment failures were difficult to manage across the entire fleet.

The business had the machines. It lacked a complete picture of how they performed.

The cost wasn't just missing data. It was the operational inefficiency that followed.

The fix

Connect, unify, act.

We connected the machines, unified the data and built the processes to turn information into action.

  1. 01

    Connect the fleet

    We designed and installed hardware that enabled previously disconnected machines to transmit operational data. Different brands, one consolidated view. No need to replace the existing fleet.

  2. 02

    Make the data useful

    We built analytical streams to track stock depletion by region, generate financial and operational reports, and identify patterns that were difficult to see across disconnected systems. Raw data became a foundation for better decisions.

  3. 03

    Optimize replenishment

    We analyzed consumption patterns and replenishment requirements to support smarter delivery schedules and service-van routes. The aim: fewer unnecessary journeys, better resource allocation and products available where demand called for them.

  4. 04

    Anticipate breakdowns

    We introduced breakdown-pattern reporting and asset-maintenance prediction processes to support earlier intervention and more informed maintenance planning.

  5. 05

    Forecast demand

    We developed scenarios accounting for weather, regional and national holidays, and product categories. The operator gained a framework for anticipating demand instead of relying solely on historical routines.

Result · direct operational costs

−24%.

lower direct operational costs

The result

Connecting the fleet was the starting point. The value came from using the resulting data to improve how the business replenished, serviced and managed its machines.

The project also established the foundations for measuring further year-over-year improvements in business efficiency. Those gains have yet to be quantified.

The takeaway

Your equipment is already generating signals.

Disconnected systems keep those signals from becoming useful decisions.

unbottle. connects the assets, removes the data bottleneck and builds the processes that turn operational visibility into measurable business value.

Talk

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