1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vending machines and, more particularly, to an inventory and security apparatus and method for a plurality of remotely located vending machines.
2. The Prior Art
The term "vending machine" was first used in about 1909 to define a coin-operated machine for vending merchandise. Any suitable merchandise can be sold through a vending machine including foodstuffs such as snacks, soft drinks, and frozen novelties, etc., and nonedible items such as cigarettes, postage stamps, newspapers, and the like. The basic concept of the vending machine is that it contains an inventory of the particular merchandise and dispenses individual units of merchandise in response to product ordered along with the money deposited in the machine. A primary advantage to the vending machine is that it provides for the sale of merchandise in remote locations at all hours without requiring the presence of a sales person.
Customarily, each vending machine is visited on a periodic, routine basis by a service person who conducts an inventory of the product sold, replenishes the stock, checks the machine for any malfunctions, and retrieves the deposited money. Since each machine in each location will have a different vending history, some machines could be empty for considerable periods of time while others will be utilized only sporadically. Further, a malfunctioning vending machine creates a loss of goodwill, a loss of revenue, and increases the risk of vandalism to the machine by an angry customer. Ideally, the service frequency for each machine will occur just prior to the machine having vended all of its stock, regardless of the frequency of need.
A further expense that adversely affects the profitability of a vending machine service company is the excessive inventory requirements for the service person. In the absence of reliable information about the resupply needs of a particular vending machine, the service person must carry a full inventory of all merchandise sold through the vending machine so as to assure that no lost sales occur because of depletion of inventory between sales calls. However, the total excess inventory requirements for certain items such as food items can result in certain food items being held in inventory beyond the expiration date. Further, excessive handling of packaged merchandise along with the heat and vibration encountered in a delivery vehicle substantially reduces the expected shelf life of certain products.
System failure of certain types of vending machines such as those with refrigeration or freezer units is particularly crucial. For example, a vending machine for frozen novelty items can create several hundred dollars in damage if a failed freezer unit is not discovered for several days. The damage results not only from the loss of stock but also resultant damage from melted product inside the machine and to the surrounding flooring such as carpeting. The hidden costs from loss of goodwill from such an unforeseen accident can also be considerable.
The advantage created by the ability to place a vending machine in a remote, unattended location is also a major contributor to one of the primary causes of damage to the machine and that is either through vandalism or damage caused by unauthorized removal of money from the machine. Since a vending machine costs thousands of dollars, this type of damage can be considerable not only to the machine but also from the loss of inventory and money.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an inventory and security apparatus and method for monitoring a plurality of remotely located vending machines. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a vending machine with a communication system coupled to a central location to enable a user of the vending machine to report a malfunction condition in the vending machine. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.