Self-service technology demand is increasing and is a trend to watch for 2023, so it’s time to make smart vending machines a part of your businesses IT strategy. Growth in the smart vending machine market, thanks to all the benefits businesses can enjoy from making use of this innovative tech.
With the rise of hybrid working companies and many more employees demanding more flexibility, this technology is coming into its own. Businesses hoping to take advantage of smart vending machines and other similar technologies can support the remote growth of their business – offering employees access to key equipment at a time that suits their own personal schedule.
How does it work?
In businesses that have a disparate workforce logging on from different cities, regions, countries and even different time zones, there is a need for 24/7 IT support when problems with IT hardware occur. The modern workforce expects workplace technology to evolve and support their working habits – this is where smart vending technology can deliver real value to a business.
Incorporating smart vending machines into an IT support strategy can grant employees access to low-value, high-volume technology items like keyboards, headsets, charging cables or other computer peripherals, saving businesses time and money, while improving efficiency between employees and IT departments.
Flexibility is key for modern businesses to thrive
Smart vending machines are delivering more accessible solutions to the modern workforce by delivering replacement IT items quickly and efficiently.
Smart vending machines empower both the IT support helpdesk and the employees by creating a process that allows employees to ‘self-serve’ when they need to replace a broken or lost item of kit.
Optimising inventory control and improving user experience are just two advantages of smart vending solutions. Going further with the technology, businesses can look to use AI to predict stock requirements and model patterns of usage in different locations to understand where the pressure points are.
Data analysis can help your decision making
Using data collected by smart vending machines can help inform future IT strategies by analysing customer behaviour, machine usage and performance.
One example is choosing the right location through analysing the data to provide further efficiency savings. Through understanding how often items are replaced and by which employees can allow businesses to decide where the vending machines should be best placed to have the most impact. It can also allow for trends to be identified from employees to see if they are regularly replacing items that are broken or lost – leading to improved management of stock levels and employee use of company equipment.
Looking back at 2022, the smart vending machine market went from strength to strength despite and in spite of economic uncertainty. The market will continue to build as remote and flexible access to hardware solutions is something that businesses will increasingly need. With time and money savings evident, the transition to smarter and more efficient technology is especially pertinent during times of financial crisis.
Smart vending machines are not one to ignore when putting together your digital transformation strategy. Find out more about the different smart vending options available.
A veteran IT director with over 25 years experience, Anthony has had a career as Programme
Director and Head of IT.
After honing his skills within blue-chip IT firms, Anthony went client side, delivering
transformation for brands including Gatwick Airport, Reckitt Benckiser, Centrica, and Co-op
Bank.