Gimme's New Technology Turns Traditional Vending Machines Into Data-Producing, "Smart" Machines

ATLANTA – January 25, 2016 – Gimme Vending, maker of innovative vending technology that gives vending executives better sales, cash, inventory and service data, today unveiled the Gimme Vending system, a cloud-based system that instantly delivers DEX data from a vending machine to headquarters as the driver completes machine service. The true plug-and-play solution is poised to transform the vending industry, as it easily integrates with existing vending management systems and turns traditional vending machines into data-producing, “smart” machines on-demand.

The Gimme Vending combination hardware/software solution allows vending companies to track what’s happening in the field where the cash and inventory are—in real-time—without end-of-day downloading, synchronizing or hand-keying. Gimme Vending’s patented plug-and-play Gimme Key and iPad-based Gimme Drive app replace current, antiquated wired handhelds.  The system integrates with existing vending management software programs. 

Data is visually presented in an easy to understand interface via the Gimme Vending system. This gives owners unprecedented visibility into each and every machine and valuable business insights that enable superior customer experience and optimal product mix at the individual vending machine level.

“Technology continues to fuel evolution in the vending industry,” said Cory Hewett, CEO and co-founder of Gimme. “As a whole, the industry is ripe for disruption and efficiency. Our plug-and-play solution will do just that in a simple, fast and beautiful way.” 

Comprised of a dyad of apps, the system includes: Gimme Command, which provides executives with an up-to-the-moment graphical view of cash and inventory data by machine and location, as well as driver route progress in the field; Gimme Drive, is designed for route drivers to simplify the process of capturing DEX (Data Exchange) data and inventory counts from each machine. Gimme Drive immediately reports the data real-time via the Gimme Vending cloud, thus driving efficiencies in pre-kitting and route delivery times — even in areas without cell coverage. Each is powered by Gimme Vending’s flexible rules-based, workflow engine for intelligent data routing information.

To deploy the technology, a Gimme Key is simply installed into each vending machine’s DEX board once and is left there. DEX data is then communicated wirelessly from the Gimme Key to the Gimme Drive app via Bluetooth Low Energy during each driver visit.  The data instantaneously uploads from the app to the Gimme Vending cloud and is immediately accessible by executives through the Gimme Command app.

“Collecting better data is just the first step. We are headed further by using machine learning to provide vending operators with immediate and tangible business insights that will help them optimize vending machines to maximize sales and curtail stock-outs,” added Hewett.

Gimme Vending system feature highlights:

Gimme Command

• Provides executives with a map view of real-time driver location in the field.
• Instantaneous view of cash and inventory data as driver completes service on each machine.
• Continuous news feed with the latest machine service completions and notification of machine errors.
• Dynamically updated graphical display of driver progress on route; visibility into driver location, time spent at each location and machine state.

Gimme Drive

• Provides driver with a single screen map view of daily scheduled machines as well as all machines assigned to that driver.
• Visual planogram view of products in each machine based on latest data from vending management system.
• Speedy, easy-to-edit, single screen picklist for inventory items by machine, location or route.
• Transmits inventory count updates and DEX file data to the Gimme Vending cloud during each machine visit; data is immediately visible in Gimme Command app.
• Functional in areas without cell coverage.
• Ability to make notations specific to a machine, location or customer that is visible to other drivers with the app’s logbook feature.

For more information, visit www.gimmevending.com.

About Gimme Vending

Ushering the vending industry into the digital age, Gimme’s plug-and-play solution gives vending machine owners the ability to track cash, inventory, machine state and speed service calls, thanks to a pocket-sized device that transmits information instantly to handheld devices/mobile phones. For more information, visit www.gimmevending.com.