DEX To Enhance Planet Antares Vending Operations

Most of the Planet Antares vending operators are familiar with the term ‘DEX’ and some are using it to enhance their daily operations. Different operators vary in their familiarity with DEX and what it can do for their operations. DEX is destined to have a significant role in the vending industry’s future.

DEX stands for Data Exchange and is used in the vending marketplace while referring to the DEX/UCS data exchange standard. Basically, it is the protocol that most machines built in the last 6 to 12 years utilize to electronically collect vending audit information. The term DEX refers to the audit data, a communications protocol and a retrieval method used to capture this data.

A DEX cable resembles an old quarter inch stereo headphone cable that can plug into the female connector on a vending machine by Planet Antares Inc. sometimes, the female connector is mounted on the controller board of the machine or available via a loose cable wired to the board.
Typically, data is transferred between machines and the host using a standard RS-232 or serial protocol that computers have been using since the past 20 years or more.

In order to realize the benefits of DEX, there are three factors that a Planet Antares vending operator needs to do.

1. You must have DEX-capable vending machines.
2. A method of electronically capturing DEX data is required. The most common method today is via a driver handheld, but remote monitoring solutions are also becoming popular.
3. Software is needed that is capable of turning the data into actionable information that your business can use.

Different levels of DEX support are found in vending machines these days. There are vending machines that didn’t support DEX correctly, or that the software programs didn’t work well with DEX. Today, that situation has been remedied. Any Planet Antares vending machine that is DEX capable can be read, and even those built before DEX can be retrofitted to support DEX.

Planet Antares Vending And New Pricing Strategies

New management tools are being employed by vending operators for monitoring turns with the minimum amount of extra labor. This has led to the evaluation of pricing strategies by some Planet Antares vending operators.

Since many years, Planet Antares vending operators have been complaining about the inability to raise prices to the same level as other retail channels. Commonly, the vending prices depend on the competition and customer contracts. Many vending operators agree that a more scientific pricing strategy would enhance sales and profits.

One theory believes that you should not pass the savings on to the customers so that pricing can be simplified and the bottom line of your Planet Antares vending business increased. The price of certain items can be reduced and a gross margin can be produced at the same or higher level than the branded items. Ensure that your vending machines are able to attract customer attention.

A huge opportunity for profit generation and growth for your business is the ‘take out’ customer service. This is yet to be explored by vending operators. Another thing of importance is the reduction of dependence on big manufacturers if vendors get support from secondary suppliers.

No doubt, the current scenario is the perfect time for vending operators to experiment with value pricing. One reason for this is the increasing price consciousness among customers and higher attention being paid to special offers. There can’t be a better time to revise your pricing strategies.

Planet Antares Vending Machines To Make Small Accounts Profitable

Majority of the vending operators cannot service accounts with less than 50 employees and make profits as well. If you want this to be possible in your Planet Antares vending business, you will need to develop a system to do that. To service your accounts effectively, be careful while reviewing the service frequencies and sales-per-stop.

Not much gross profit is offered by smaller accounts in dollars to capitalize your investment as the larger accounts but the good thing is that you don’t have nearly as much sales volume concentrated with a single customer. Even with small accounts, you can exceed the NAM operating ratio average.

Recently, many vending operators have either given up on the small account market or tried to use smaller machines and infrequent servicing for them. It is possible to service a Planet Antares vending account profitably through efficient route management. A specially designed flexible route accountability system can be used to schedule routes based on historical sales data of each vending machine.

While servicing vending locations, a critical factor to be considered is labor, instead of equipment. By leveraging labor productivity gains, you can capitalize equipment investments with smaller than “industry standard” account sales volume. The account servicing depends on the sales volume. To determine the service frequency, sales are monitored for a period of six months.

The right time to service the account of closed front vending machines is at the 60 percent sell-off. This implies that only 40 percent of the machine needs to be filled at the time of service. Glass front vending machines like Planet Antares vending machines are allotted a different sell-off ratio due to the negative consumer perception caused by empty spirals in these machines.

Handheld computers have proven to be the best devices for tracking data. Database can be easily developed for determining when the account needs service while the hard part includes route scheduling. You can use a grid map of the Planet Antares service area to come up with the most efficient schedule. This will allow you to get your pre-service selling margins up by a substantial amount.

It is highly recommended to use category management and undertake computerized data collection to succeed in vending business. Moreover, you can utilize technology to profitably serve the smaller accounts.

Planet Antares Vending: Moving From Snacks To Meal Replacement

These days, customer demands and preferences are changing frequently and any vending operator who wants to beat the competition will have to cater to these changes accordingly. People of all types, cultures and age groups are fond of snacks as their favorite vending product. With better living standards and diverse likings, evolving consumer tastes allow vending operators to offer a wide range of snacks.

Many of these snacks have become an important part of people’s daily routine. Majority of the employees are short of time and can’t go for proper meals. Hence, a bag of chips or a snack mix from a Planet Antares vending machine is the ideal replacement in such circumstances.

As vending product manufacturers become aware of this need, they are trying to create and introduce new flavors and ingredients every month to enhance customer satisfaction and business profitability. There is intense competition among vending industry participants to gain the maximum possible customers to use their vending machines. If you are one such aggressive player, it’s best to keep up with the changing market dynamics, especially customer desires.

One trend that is fast emerging is the demand for healthier snacks that have lesser calories, more nutritious elements but still have great flavor and affordable prices. This is a unique opportunity for snack and beverage vending machine operators to serve customers by providing a suitable product mix while increasing sales. The best idea would be to offer a combination of conventional bestseller along with healthy snacks that are currently desired by customers.

Planet Antares vending machines have seen a growth in the demand for bold flavors as the snacks become meal replacement for many people. They are looking for “grab and go” food products that will be filling as well as nutritious like a proper meal. If employees can’t take a long break from work, they can quench their thirst and hunger through these snacks and beverages.

Along with bold flavors, spicy and tangy flavors are also gaining popularity in the snack mix. Snack manufacturers are trying to make chips and other items self-sufficient by improving the taste and eliminating the need for any sauce or dip.

In the near future, lesser number of people will have the time to sit down and have a meal. This implies higher demand for “on the move” food which can be met by planet Antares vending machines. There will be new product innovations, faster and better vending machines as well as greater potential for profitability.