Japan is rightly famous for its vending machines, even counting soft-drink machines alone there are around 2.13 million* such devices in the country as a whole. How did vending machines become so widespread?
Due to labour shortages and increasing labour costs during the postwar economic boom, automated machines took over vending work that had been done by people.
Now half a century later, we are faced with new issues: population decline, the raised expectations for the working environment, and higher productivity requirements.
To deal with these issues, we at TenTen are now developing an Internet of Things platform for vending machine services.
Our system provides smartphone payment and loyalty point collection functions for consumers, profit maximizing marketing strategies, and support for efficient product replenishment.
We offer next-generation vending machine solutions to further connect vendors and consumers.
*As of December 2017, source: https://www.jvma.or.jp/information/information_3.html
① SmartBeacon® are installed in existing vending machines
② The vending machine communicates with our app
③ Data is stored in the cloud
④ A route is planned based on the collected date(Jihanki AI®)
⑤ Deliveries are made according to the suggested route
⑥ Drinks are replenished while checking the picking list on a smartphone
SERVICE
TenTen Loyalty
Solution
Simply through the installation of one of our dedicated TenTen Smartbeacon® devices, an existing vending machine or other payment machine can be transformed into an interactive purchasing system.
When connected to an application on a consumer’s smartphone, we can get hitherto unknown information to aid market analysis: What kind of person makes what purchases, and when? What was the weather and temperature on that day?
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Loyalty Program
Simply through the installation of one of our dedicated TenTen Smartbeacon® devices, an existing vending machine or other payment machine can be transformed into an interactive purchasing system.
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Payment System
Our technology enables consumers to use a prepayment purchasing service on their application, without the installation of an expensive card reader system. Application-based payment with no need for physical money results in dramatically more convenient vending machine purchases.
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Analytics / Marketing
The technology enables real time analysis of user trends, allowing effective and up-to-date promotional strategies.
Jihanki AI®
TenTen’s Jihanki AI® (operation management system) brings vending machines online and streamlines their management and maintenance.
Operators can efficiently plan required maintenance and replenishment based on the data transmitted in real time from our SmartBeacons®.
Furthermore, by using our visual management console, operators carrying out maintenance can make the appropriate, informed decisions on the spot.
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Data Management
Detailed information on the sales, technical problems and so forth for each vending machine is collected in real-time, eliminating wasted operation time.
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Route Management
By utilizing the easy-to-understand management console, the most efficient timing for stock replenishment, money collection and so on can be quickly identified based on the collected data.
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Remote Maintenance
When a problem occurs, the management console can be used for remote investigation of the causes, or to send commands to the vending machine at a distance.