We run 2,000+ vending machines and micro markets, for hundreds of organisations, across Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Every one of them has to be full when someone walks up hungry. A machine that has run out of the thing people want is a letdown for the customer and a bad look for the location that hosts it.
Managing the logistics of that many locations, products and customers is complex. To ensure that we are always delivering the premium service that AVC prides itself on, we built Sentry.
Sentry is AVC’s own vending management platform, and we own it outright. Sentry is specifically tailored to how we run our service.
Every machine reports back to Sentry, and that vending remote monitoring gives us a real-time insight into stock levels and sales at each location, so we are not guessing what is left in the machine. This means before any machine has a chance to run out, we are already preparing to send a driver with more stock.
Every machine we place is different. A machine outside a busy gym empties within days. One in a quiet back office may take up to a fortnight to empty. If both are on the same weekly refilling cycle, the timing is wrong for both. Across 2,000 locations, a fixed schedule means trips that are not needed and machines that sit empty between visits.
The fix is knowing which machine actually needs a visit, and when, rather than just running more of them on a fixed schedule.
Sentry holds a shelf plan for every machine. It also reports what sells and what doesn’t, location by location. If a product sells well at one location and sits untouched at another, we see it and adjust the range to better service the customer. Over time each machine evolves toward the mix its users want.
Machines are machines, so now and then one has issues. When it does, the location logs it or the platform flags it, and Sentry raises a ticket that goes to our service team. The ticket tracks the fault from reported to resolved so nothing gets missed.
Our field team also logs proof-of-service photos against each visit, so there’s a record that a machine was filled, tidy and working when the driver left. It helps us keep a high standard across all 2,000 locations.
Software doesn’t fill a shelf, our 100+ staff and 60+ vehicles do. Sentry accompanies them as an app that tells each driver which locations to visit, how much to stock, and what each machine needs before they arrive. Together with Sentry our staff ensure that your machine is always in its best condition.
