Method and system for managing vending operations based on wireless data

Abstract

A system coupled to one or more vending machines, such as soft drink vending machines, via a wireless data link can acquire operational vending data, for example sales data, hardware status, and product temperature. The system can compile data from multiple vending machines dispersed across a geographic area such as a city or state. The system can include software that refines the vending operations of one or more such vending machines based on analysis of acquired data, taking into consideration other information such as market, business, seasonal, or environmental factors. Refining vending operations can include adjusting product offerings, relocating vending machines, replicating favorable conditions, and addressing unexpected sales variations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for optimizing vending machine site locations, the method comprising the steps of:
 for each vending machine in a plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines, receiving communications carrying vend data based on wireless transmissions at said each vending machine;   identifying underperforming vending machines in the plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines by processing the vend data carried by the received communications; and   determining locations of the identified underperforming vending machines.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising the step of retrieving from memory computer executable instructions for identifying the underperforming vending machines in the plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines by processing the vend data carried by the received communications and determining the locations of the identified underperforming vending machines. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each vending machine comprises a respective transceiver module and a respective antenna for the wireless transmissions. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications transmit over a cellular network. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying outperforming vending machines in the plurality of vending machines by processing the vend data. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting new locations for the identified underperforming vending machines. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein an analytics module executes said identifying, said processing, and said determining. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of outputting a report about the determined locations. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications pass through a communication gateway. 
     
     
         10 . A method for managing a vending operation, comprising the steps of:
 with an analytics module running on a computing system, processing vending data for vending machines at different geographic sites, the vending data transmitted between the vending machines and the analytics module over paths comprising a cellular network;   with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to identify from the vending machines at least one outperforming vending machine;   with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to determine a characteristic of the at least one outperforming vending machine that is attributable to said outperformance; and   with the analytics module running on the computing system, outputting a message about said determined characteristic of the at least one outperforming vending machine.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analytics module determines location for the at least one outperforming vending machine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the message identifies a site characteristic. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said determined characteristic comprises a characteristic of a site location of the at least one outperforming vending machine. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determined characteristic is relevant to relocating at least one other of the vending machines. 
     
     
         15 . A method for managing a vending operation, comprising the steps of:
 with an analytics module running on a computing system, processing vending data for vending machines that are dispersed geographically and that are linked to the analytics module via a cellular system;   with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to identify from the vending machines at least one underperforming vending machine;   with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to determine a characteristic of the at least one underperforming vending machine that is attributable to said underperformance; and   with the analytics module running on the computing system, outputting a message about said determined characteristic of the at least one underperforming vending machine.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the analytics module determines location for the at least one underperforming vending machine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the message identifies a site characteristic. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to identify from the vending machines at least one outperforming vending machine; and   with the analytics module running on the computing system, utilizing said processing of the vending data to determine a characteristic of the at least one outperforming vending machine that is attributable to said outperformance.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising conducting computer-based analysis of candidate sites for relocating the at least one outperforming vending machine. 
     
     
         20 . A method for optimizing vending machine site locations, the method comprising
 performing on a computer-based system the steps of:
 for each vending machine in a system of vending machines that are at different geographic locations, receiving communications that provide vend data based on wireless transmissions from the vending machines; 
 identifying overperforming vending machines in the system of vending machines by processing the vend data carried by the received communications; 
 determining locations of the identified overperforming vending machines; and 
 outputting a message about the determined locations.