GyG Vending

Management of vending machines

The client

G&G Vending has an operation of private access vending machines (for employees), many of them in large companies. Water, soft drinks, snacks and, without a doubt, the best coffee are consumed daily by hundreds of users of G&G Vending machines.

the challenge

The solution that the client had had a very heterogeneous technological stack: J2ME app, J2EE server on Tomcat, persistence in the backend with SQLServer Express, frontend desktop in Delphi to export in CSV and import in Excel. Added to this was the fact that J2ME had ceased to be the app development framework and the only way to execute it on new terminals was emulation. The growth that the company had experienced required a simpler and more versatile solution. The new machines had EVA/DTS supported wallets which provided very useful information that was being completely wasted.

The strategy

From the first moment, the client opted to carry out a complete analysis of the business processes and find a way to include the maximum of them in the solution to be developed. In addition to identifying and automating processes, we set ourselves the goal of eliminating the heterogeneity of system technologies, reducing complexity and facilitating both the use and exploitation of data to improve decision-making. Although there were standard solutions capable of solving a large part of the client’s needs, he did not feel comfortable and his experience encouraged him to carry out custom development. The new system did not need to coexist with the existing one.

The proposal

We proposed to the client a software development project that, as a result, would lead to a platform for managing their business: mobile app, web frontend and common backend for web and mobile app API. The API would be service-oriented and would allow the mobile App to be changed at any time. Due to the characteristics of the project, ruggedized mobile terminals were ideal, but at the time the project was carried out, there was no clear market position regarding the operating system. Windows Mobile was the platform par excellence among the ruggedized and the few terminals with Android were almost experimental or conspicuous by their absence. This made the choice for the mobile app the .Net Compact Framework 3.5 on Windows Mobile. On the server side, we chose CodeIgniter, a tool with which we had experience and that allowed us to maintain both the web application and the API. To abstract from the technology used, the API would exclusively use JSON over HTTP.

The process

Phase after phase until the finish line.

1 - Initial Analysis

The previous solution had not been designed by analyzing the processes, so it only tried to automate what was being done to continue control through spreadsheets. The opportunity was brilliant to identify the processes, redesign them and implement the software that would optimize them. In addition to the meetings with the promoters of the project, the LinkedBytes team traveled with the operators to find out what they were doing and how they were doing it. Knowing first-hand the processes and analyzing them allowed us, together with the client, to draw up a catalog of requirements and a very exhaustive list of use cases.

2 - Web and API development

Starting from the analysis and design of the system, we start the coding of the backend. First, the entire web frontend, from which all the system information could be managed and operations carried out only for the office user. Then implementing the API for the mobile app. With this milestone passed, the customer could run tests and begin initial data entry.

3 - App Development

With the API developed, we started the coding of the mobile app and, in parallel, the implementation of the DEX/UCS protocol in C# to be able to communicate with the wallets and obtain the EVA/DTS information. The consumption of EVA/DTS information (not foreseen at the beginning of the project) represented a significant deviation, but it was worth it since it provided a very important value to the project, since it provides an exhaustive and detailed control of what has happened in each machine since the last time the information was obtained.

4 - Deployment

The client understood that there could be no migration, since it went from controlling 3 indicators and replenishments per machine to controlling what products each one ships, at what prices, what sales have been made by product, withdrawals, replenishments, etc… That is, there was a before and an after. So the deployment was carried out at the time when the system was tested and stable. The operators were already used to using the previous app, so there was no barrier to acceptance.

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Results

Achievements achieved.

100%

CUSTOMIZED

Although there were commercial solutions on the market, the client wanted a solution that would fit their reality. The analysis and study of the tasks of all the actors in the system was crucial. Thanks to the involvement of all parties, a solution was achieved that fit like a glove.

100%

CONTROL

Thanks to the incorporation of the EVA/DTS data, a complete control of the stock is achieved, since the merchandise is under the control of the system from the order to the supplier, through the reception in the warehouse, until the sale to the consumer. Information is synchronized unattended from mobile terminals, making it available to managers almost instantly.

100%

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Several years have passed since the solution was launched and improvements and adaptations have been carried out that allow the client to continue trusting the developed solution and the LinkedBytes team.

Customer opinion

Pending receipt…