Category: Best Ancillary Product or Service
Name of Product or Service: Vendmanager
Company Name: SB Software
Company: SB Software
Summary:
1) Executive Summary
Check the dictionary definition for “ancillary”. It reads: “providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organisation, or system.”
This is the very rationale why Vendmanager, the vending management system from SB Software, exists: for the advantage of vending. It’s also the yardstick by which we are measured. Making vending “simply better” is what we do every working hour, to the benefit of our clients (operators), their own customers, and the sector as a whole. The words “Simply Better” feature large across the walls of our offices, on the back of our business cards, and throughout everything we put out in public.
Our success is evaluated not only commercially (we are growing faster in the UK than anyone else in a comparable space), but also in the best:
– functionality
– client satisfaction
– customer service and support
– delivery today
– and investment for tomorrow.
By making vending simply better, Vendmanager benefits all constituents in the sector including operators, machine manufacturers, trade associations, site owners, brands and end customers.
Everyone across the board gains from the improvements that can be tracked back to Vendmanager.
This award submission is supported by:
a PDF of images/diagrams (attached file REFERENCE) for illustration and explanation
a 3 minute video available here to stream or download:
PASSWORD: VEND1234
2) What is Vendmanager?
Vendmanager is the most powerful Vending Management System (VMS) there is.
Our software makes everyday life easier and better for operators, at the same time as improving their commercial performance. Every day. Today, Vendmanager is delivered via the mobile device of the client’s choice – giving freedom to select the standard smartphone or tablet that suits their own priorities – and budget.
Wherever possible, we integrate seamlessly with any and every payment system, external hardware, or other software and devices. We are 100% agnostic about where data comes from or where it goes – once we have put it to work. Our job is to make it work as hard as possible in between, and as productively as possible always.
Showcase technology integrations and developments in the last 12 months include:
– Putting the FastTrack system from USA-based LightSpeed Automation to work. This was the first of its kind not just in the UK, but anywhere in Europe. FastTrack is a powerful pick-to-light system that allows for high speed order processing – improving efficiency.
– Making certain that our customers are ready and able to take advantage of the boom in micro-markets, with full integration into their estate via Vendmanager, increasing their profitability and customer service.
– Ensuring that “no machine is left behind” (wherever practicable), bringing legacy equipment alive to data. Enabling innovations within Vendmanager include Databridge – our low cost telemetry unit, and Datakey – our data fob which allows operators to fill more machines per day, whilst improving accuracy and security.
Alongside such investments in the future of technology, we do our utmost to ensure that our team always delivers beyond the promise we make to our customers.
That’s why we believe in proactive communication and account management – we enjoy engaging with our sector.
3) Vendmanager: Benefits for Clients – and Across the Vending Sector
We measure tangible performance improvements in concrete results.
We like it when clients install prominent large screen monitors in their offices, displaying Vendmanager performance in real time, because, for example, we:
– reduce operating costs by 10 – 20%
– increase snack sales by over 10%
– cut stockholding by up to 20%
– decrease shrinkage to negligible levels
– fill more machines per operator (monitored per client).
At the same time, we also keep an eagle eye on the bigger picture.
In addition to quantifying how much we help clients to improve, we remember why they set out to improve in the first place. And we never forget that we are ancillary: we help them. Key objectives include:
– visibility: helping you understand more, clearer, to set priorities sooner.
– efficiency: helping you achieve more per person, per pound, per day.
– profitability: helping you accomplish more, faster, at the right margin.
– customer service: helping you fulfil even more of your clients’ objectives.
What we do is good. What we help others do is better still. Simply better.
We will continue to remember the “simply” component of “simply better” too. Prime examples this year have included:
– making it easy for operators to get started with Vendmanager through our new Software Migration Service
– relieving all the burden of CQUIN implementation.
4) Vendmanager: Today – and Tomorrow
We already have a proven track record of:
– ongoing long-term results
– delivery today
– and investment for tomorrow.
Nowadays we work across all of vending. But we started out in tobacco. Writing software to manage such high value, portable stock, prone to shrinkage is rigorous training. It demands focus and discipline, ensuring that the technology and the commercial always work together hand in glove, as we continue to build for the future:
– managing and developing our own team to be even better
– further harnessing technology effectively for both today and tomorrow
– engaging with clients ever more meaningfully and productively.
Key to delivering the Vendmanager promise has long been recruiting ahead of the curve. We have worked hard to build and maintain our reputation for robust software development, on-time implementation and outstanding customer support, and we only have plans to get better still.
We are proud of our technology roadmap both retrospectively as a record of what we have already delivered successfully, and looking forward to guide how we will continue to perform to the ongoing benefit of the sector.
We are also excited by new opportunities to further enhance the client experience, such as embedding support videos into Vendmanager itself – readily available on tap.
For our clients, Vendmanager improves visibility, efficiency, profitability and customer service. And we will continue to measure success both quantitively and qualitatively, because both are vital.
Commercial success without high levels of customer service is short-sighted.
We always remember: this applies to ourselves too, not just our customers.