Vagabond increases vending machine operator profits and reduces the number of hours they work with Google Maps Javascript API.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Vagabond launched an Internet of Things (IoT) network to provide operators with real-time data about their vending machines, whether they’re at a desk or on the road. To complement its powerful web and mobile ERP tools, the company needed a mapping platform to pin-point the precise locations of each machine and to efficiently route drivers.
BENEFITS
“Our map-based web app shows vending operators where their machines are located, which need service, and how much cash is waiting. It also helps build super efficient driver routes.”
THE SOLUTION
Vagabond used the Google Maps Javascript API to build a web-based application showing the location of each operator’s vending machine as a pin on a map. With Google Maps Platform, vital information about the machine, such as its stock level and cash collected, is overlaid on the map so that pins can be filtered based on the needs and geographic location of each machine.
Operators use this information to determine when machines need to be restocked and to build efficient routing schedules. It’s important that each machine location be precise, so drivers know exactly where they are and when they need to be stocked. When a new machine is installed, an operator uses a mobile app that deploys the Google Places API and Google Maps Geocoding API to determine its location within a building. Operators and drivers can see whether a machine is in a loading dock in a back alley or on the southwest wing of a third-floor dormitory.
