Pharmaceutical Vending Machines – An Overview

idsvending.com - Pharmacuetical Vending Machines - An Overview

The demand for pharmaceutical vending machines is rapidly evolving. With the rise of pharmacy intelligence and predictive analytics, as well as an increased need for a comprehensive end-to-end solution, healthcare executives must innovate to solve both new and old prescription management concerns (diversion, patient safety, and rising costs) to stay ahead of the curve.

Pharmaceutical vending machines can help fill this gap. They can augment the declining bandwidth of Pharmaceuticals. There are several applications of vending machines for the pharmacy industry. Sales of nonprescription or OTC drugs can be automated with their help. Automated pharmacy solutions can also help control access to medication or products that need authentication, like narcotics. Other non-medical products like sanitary products, PPE kits, contraceptives and personal grooming products can be sold through vending machines. This frees up the bandwidth of the pharmacist for transactions that need their participation.

Benefits for Healthcare units and Medical Practitioners

There is a growing demand for an increase in the quality of care provided by the healthcare industry. On the other hand, there are significant cost pressures. The only way this can be addressed for the pharmaceutical retail industry is by improving the efficiency of the channels of transactions. Vending machines can help achieve just that. Some of the benefits that the industry can experience are discussed below:

Saves Time

The staff can continue handling transactions that need attention while customers can buy from pharmaceutical vending machines. Qualified and skilled professionals can save time on non-critical transactions, allowing them to provide better care and attention to their customers.

Real-Time Data and Inventory Management

Like all highly regulated markets, the pharmaceutical retail market needs to demonstrate compliance at multiple levels. Inventory data of this industry is critical for several regulatory authorities like the FDA and DEA. Maintaining such copious records through manual data entry is a cumbersome process. Pharmaceutical vending machines enabled with inventory management solutions are ideal for this problem. This combination automates data entry at the point of transaction, making real-time information available to those who need access to it.

24/7 Service

Medical Supply Dispensing pharmaceutical systems will cut down on waste and human error and better track the life-saving medications that fire paramedics use every day. In busy locations like airports, where the traffic might be high at any time, it is crucial to ensure the store is sufficiently staffed all day. Such sites are ideal for vending machines as they are not impacted by timings-related fatigue.

Better Customer Experience

Faster response and minimal human intervention are becoming the name of the game in almost any customer-facing industry today. Pharmaceutical vending machines are beneficial assets for your organization. Vending machines in medical retail deliver a unique and satisfying experience for customers who do not need access to prescription drugs.

Saves Cost

The average yearly income of staff who manage pharmaceuticals is almost twice that of the national average. Wasting such an expensive resource on transactions that can easily be automated is a drain on the business profitability. Using vending machines can help avoid this waste and save costs for the business.

Benefits for Consumers

Consumers are not always inclined to spend time waiting for medications. Pharmaceutical dispensing machines are placed at  emergency service facilities, such as hospitals and fire stations. They expect the service to be fast, accurate, and less invasive. As shown below, some of these problems can be addressed by automated pharmacy vending machines.

Faster Service

Vending machines can provide access to selected products without age or prescription verifications. Machines are preloaded with product expiry and dosage specifications. Hence it takes much less time for an automated machine to vend a product than when a pharmacist has to read through the fine print to ensure customer safety. Moreover, with features like cashless payments and digital displays, the time spent by the customer is the least possible. The customer is in and out before they know it.

Fewer Human Interventions

Ever since the global COVID-19 pandemic, customers have preferred fewer human interactions. We might be past the peak of the worldwide catastrophe. Still, the social distancing and personal hygiene lessons it has taught us will stay with us. Pharmaceutical dispensing machines Vending machines minimize the number of human touchpoints in the purchase process.

Some products come with an associated stigma. Contraceptives and drug administration products are examples where the customer feels safer interacting with a machine. Some customers might resort to unsafe practices because of a lack of means for private transactions.

Lastly, the need for sanitary products, PPE kits or convenience medicines like nasal decongestants may arise at any time. Having convenient access to a vending machine that sells such products will help consumers get along with their day rather than spend more time than necessary at the pharmacist.

Limitations in Unmanned Pharmaceutical Vending

Pharmaceuticals can have a wide variety of applications, from mild symptomatic relief to life-saving drugs in hospitals and fire stations. Hence, the pharmacy retail industry is highly regulated. There are a lot of products that qualify for unmanned automated vending. Pharmaceutical vending machines must be used only for such products. It is important to remember that vending machines do not replace a qualified pharmacist. They augment their bandwidth and create a more efficient experience for the end consumers.

Summary

Pharmaceutical vending machines can reduce fatigue and the possible errors associated with it. Vending machines also automate data capture at the point of transaction, making real-time data available for those who need it. They can control access to drugs that require authentication.

Pharmacy vending solutions from UCapIt can help your businesses drive efficiency, save costs, improve profitability and deliver a good customer experience. To learn how our vending solutions can help you, call us at 1-877-771-4446.

  1. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm
  2. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm

How Does Real Time Inventory Management Help In Pharmaceutical Dispensing

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This post is for all organizations and stakeholders that deal with medical services and medicine inventory. IDS has end-to-end medical supplies storage and management solutions for emergency response teams, hospitals, universities, and more. Please check out what our customers have to say here.

The factors that impact medical supplies dispensing are related to the following stakeholders,

  1. Medical service providers: from first responders to medical professionals on the roster, medical supplies must be accessible quickly and only to the appropriate professional. 
  2. Service users and consumers: the supplies need to be available in pristine condition to the end-user.
  3. Organizations and institutions: entities that deploy storage and management dispensing solutions need help with their expense optimization.

Points To Watch Out For In A Medical Supply Dispensing Solution

The principal objective of a pharmaceutical dispensing solution is ensuring optimum access to medicine and medical resources while eliminating wastage and thereby optimizing procurement. The following aspects are critical in ensuring a successful pharmaceutical inventory management solution:

  1. Technology and features: there are numerous methods for tracking the supply’s flow and status. From embedded sensors to cellular internet, stakeholders need to choose the appropriate machine that ticks all the boxes.
  2. Storage and procurement: medical resources come with a host of regulatory compliances to meet, and they differ based on the governmental agency or entity. The ideal solution needs to be flexible enough to factor in multiple considerations while assisting strict compliance.
  3. Operations and reporting: in medical resources dispensing a penny saved is a penny better spent in saving more lives. The ideal dispensing solution needs to be equipped to reduce wastage and procurement expenses.
  4. Maintenance: Medical domain needs tried and tested solutions that are reliable over long periods.

Technology & Features: 

  1. 3rd Party Tool Integration: Inventory management data helps departments like admin, HR, finance, operations, etc. IDS’s solution integrates with a wide range of 3rd party systems and software.
  2. Credentials Based Access: Credentials capture improves accountability and resource utilization. IDS solutions offer a host of credential vetting tools like magnetic cards, mobile-based barcode scanners, etc, including biometrics-based access. Biometrics are more difficult to manipulate and can be carried over from the previous machines.
  3. Stakeholder Communication:  IDS UCapIt helps automate transactional and usage-based communication based on pre-determined and ad-hoc triggers to the appropriate stakeholders.

B. Storage & Procurement: 

  1. Supply Room: Multiple statutory regulations and compliance requirements must be met when storing and dispensing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. With IDS dispensing solutions, the entire supply room is accessible at the click of a button. This is especially beneficial for audits, risk reduction, and product expiration management.
  2. Custom Notifications/Alerts For Critical Resources: Some SKUs need more attention than others. These could be anything from scrubs to controlled medication. IDS  solutions come equipped with full data tracking and insights capture capabilities to design custom alerts through notifications and actions like procurement requests.

C. Operations & Reporting

  1. Automated Returns Management: returns are a pain, and the ideal dispensing solution would make it pain-free. Like how the Virtual Tracker updates stock levels after returns. 
  2. Improved Inventory Workflows: Efficiency is all about the workflows that determine how the inventory flows. UCapIt’s simple and effective workflows optimize how inventory is distributed and made accessible. 
  3. Scheduled Maintenance of Dispensed Assets & Resources: Our solutions help in improving asset life and quality by helping in their timely recalibration, repairs, or maintenance during check-in.
  4. Enhanced Auditing: Reconciling stock records to actuals is a breeze with Virtual Tracker. Our easy-to-use interfaces, including mobile-based bar code scanners, ensure stocks = actuals.
  5. Lot Tracking: supply tracking from procurement to dispensing and future procurements. Chain of custody

D. Maintenance

  1. Optimizing Efficiency: Solutions need to be monitored and maintained to ensure they are able to give full value for their investment. Using iQ Technology helps understand how the deployed solution is working for you. 
  2. Optimizing Efficiency: Solutions need to be monitored and maintained to ensure they are able to give full value for their investment. Using iQ Technology helps understand how the deployed solution is working for you. 

The Benefits Of Using A Single-Source Inventory Management Solution

In addition to the points covered above, IDS’s single-source all-in-one solutions pack great adaptability. For instance, we pack the following,

  1. Custom Checklist: The ability to build digital checklists for anything. Could be workflows, notifications, or inventory tracking. 
  2. API / Pre-Authorization: The backend of the software is secure but comes with the ability to connect with other business processes. Ensuring inventory which is a critical aspect of the organization does not end up being a silo.
  3. Customizable Locker Dispensing: Our physical lockers and hardware themselves are versatile. Customizable as single, standalone machines or satellites connected to a dispenser or smart locker.

With iQ Technology, you get all the features, values, and benefits of an ideal dispensing solution for your medical service delivery requirements. A snapshot of what our solutions are capable of includes, single and multiple item dispense, asset and resource check-in/check-out, returns management, custom rule setting workflows like loan periods, self-service automated order pick-up/will-call, etc., and much more under a single login for a unified view on supply requests.

Click here to know more about how and what iQ Technology could do for your pharmaceutical real-time inventory management and storage.

Take Control of Your Narcotics Inventory with UCapIt

UCapIt

When it comes to narcotic inventory control, organizations can never be too careful. If you find yourself struggling with keeping your supply room secure or having too many expired products, you may want to turn to UCapit. UCapIt puts managers back in control through its Supply Dispensers, Supply Lockers and SAFEMEDS.

UCapIt’s Supply Dispensers dispense medical supplies, narcotics and pharmaceuticals to authorized staff within an emergency organization. Dispensers provide a single point-of-access for an entire team and keep inventory safe, secure and organized. Designated employees can access necessary products through RFID badge, magnetic strip, Proximity card reader, barcode, personal PIN, Biometrics and more.

Supply Lockers from UCapIt can be used to access or return medical equipment and supplies. Each locker bay has the option to add electricity for charging devices. They can hold larger equipment, such as defibrillators and medical kits or smaller items, such as gloves. Each item can be accessed by authorized users through the same interface as Supply Dispensers.

Finally, SafeMeds allow users to access the necessary narcotics quickly and efficiently in the field. It is a high-security ambulance EMS dispensing lockbox system that is capable of mounting directly in an ambulance or other areas where drugs need to be tracked or distributed.

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions and UCapIt is ready to help you take back control of your EMS inventory. To find out more about our medical narcotics inventory vending machines, call us at 1-877-771-4446.

EMS Organizations Benefit from UCapIt

All across the United States, EMS organizations are benefitting from the use of IDS EMS supply vending machines and supply lockers. From access to reports to saving time and money to complying with state regulations, UCapIt has taken the world of emergency services by storm. Hear from EMS organizations across the country why UCapIt is their new go-to system for organization and inventory control.

Bill Dolby, Fire Captain at Jackson Township, has found that UCapIt is saving them money every year. “We have to be creative. years ago, we were throwing away $3,000 worth of drugs when they expired at the end of the month. We only throw away a couple of hundred dollars worth of drugs now.”

Real-time alerts have been crucial for the Tulsa Fire Department. Captain Michael Bake, Director of EMS, said, “I have a limited supply and equipment budget and the supply monster was just eating our operations. We found, when we analyzed the system, that we had a lot of inconsistencies and weren’t compliant with state regulations,” Blake said. “Our old system to determine what we had in the field that was going to expire was a phone tree, and now, with UCapIt, we can pull it up in real-time and understand what we have to order or not.” 

Reports are another asset that UCapIt users have found to be beneficial. Captain Beth Hines of Onslow County EMS said, “The report tells me what I need to know, how many are expiring, where they are located and the name of the medication.” Continues Hines, “I really like that I can run the report for 90 or more days because I order replacement medications 3-4 months in advance, plus my regular stock…so I know I won’t run out.”

UCapIt has taken the EMS world by storm and there is no sign of slowing down. To get started with UCapIt, or to learn more about its features, give IDS a call at 1-877-771-4446.

Prepare Your Medical Personnel for COVID-19 with Controlled Dispensing Solutions for EMS and Pharmaceuticals

IDS’ UCapIt allows your EMS and medical personnel to safely and securely access emergency medical supplies, narcotics, and life saving medical equipment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIe7rhIpRt8&feature=youtu.be

As COVID-19 continues to spread, it is essential to provide EMS, first responders, and hospital personnel with PPE supplies and processes to best protect themselves while not compromising the ability to provide life-saving medical treatment to patients when every second counts. This is especially important as EMS agencies, fire stations, hospitals and other critical care medical organizations’ resources are being strained due to the influx in demand related to surging numbers of COVID-19 patients. 

As a part of protecting personnel from the risk of exposure or transmission to COVID-19, it is more important now than ever before to ensure that medical supplies are being handled by as few people as possible.  While it is impossible to eliminate face-to-face interactions when providing emergency medical treatment to patients, it is possible to limit face-to-face interactions internally and reduce the handling of critical supplies.

Why is this so critical?  According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the lifespan of the Coronavirus can vary, based on different surfaces and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to three days. 

  • Airborne: 30 minutes to 3 hours
  • Cardboard: 24 hours
  • Stainless Steel: 2 days
  • Plastic: 3 days  

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions provides controlled dispensing solutions, specifically for EMS, PPE and pharmaceuticals through its brand UCapIt.  UCapIt offers a contactless transaction experience through controlled dispensing to allow EMS staff, hospital personnel and first responders to easily access emergency medical supplies without direct, face-to-face interaction with other staff members.

Today agencies are tasked with ensuring they have an urgent plan of action regarding EMS narcotics in place while being faced with the fear of a drug shortage and PPE shortages. The need for inventory management is more crucial than ever before. With COVID-19 having up to a three-day lifespan on supplies, the above CDC guidelines have prompted many emergency medical and health care organizations to re-evaluate the use of supply closets as a means to store and access critical supplies.  

Unlike open supply closets, in which multiple staff members can access and return EMS supplies and medical equipment, controlled dispensing through UCapIt’s dispensers and supply lockers control which staff members have access to what items. Plus, the staff member’s credentials must be verified for access before the supply is dispensed and the employee is able to touch the item.  This verification is especially important for controlled substances and provides a method for organizations to comply with FDA and DEA regulations.  

Conversely, in an open supply closet setting, many people before you may have picked up medical disposables and put it back on the shelf.  With controlled dispensing, your supplies are at a much lower risk of contamination by being handled by fewer individuals and you don’t have to worry about unauthorized users accessing controlled substances.

Another advantage to IDS’ UCapIt solution is the ability to limit access to products for a certain period of time to ensure that any virus transfer or contamination risk is eliminated. For instance, a staff member can fill the supply dispenser or locker and then place the selection or compartment out of service until a specified date/time.  Plus, IDS supply dispensers offer first-in-first-out loading (FIFO). This ensures the newest supplies loaded into the medical PPE vending machine will not be dispensed until the older supplies in that selection have been dispensed, which further reduces any risks due to transfer on the supplies. 

In addition, the FIFO loading reduces costs due to expired supplies such as narcotics.  In fact, many of UCapIt’s customers have experienced a decrease in loss of expired products of more than 30% in the first year of implementation. For many fire stations, hospital personnel and EMS organizations, this equates to big dollars that can be reallocated to other priorities and initiatives within the organization.

“With the UCapIt system, we are able to have a tighter inventory control on our medications, minimize the loss through the expiration of the medication, and limit the amount of downtime and out of service time our units encompassed with restocking,” said Dan Lottes of Washington DC Fire/EMS.

Another advantage of IDS’ UCapIt solution is the real-time data and reporting capability through its proprietary iQ Technology software.  iQ Technology allows administrators to track who accessed what item(s), when they accessed the item(s), and the quantity of the item they accessed.  This chain of custody is critical when identifying and mitigating risks in a crisis situation, as well as is useful on an inventory management basis during normal operating circumstances.

“The cost reduction we realized once we had implemented IDS’ UCapIt solution is a big benefit to our agency.  Plus, we receive notifications for the web service that allows us to track all of our equipment, certifications, and product in real-time. I would recommend UCapIt to other agencies that are looking to reduce costs and efficiently increase their inventory tracking capabilities,” said Rich Tvelia, EMT-CC with Mastic Beach Ambulance Company. 

Having a solution in place to manage and track inventory, reduces an agency’s risk and also protects your most critical assets – your staff members.  It is these individuals that are on the front lines of combating crises such as the global pandemic we are currently facing.  

UCapIt can help.  As you are evaluating and initiating your response plan, we want to help you keep your staff members safe, while providing a solution that reduces product loss due to expiration and provides compliance with FDA and DEA regulations.

For more information about UCapIt’s EMS and pharmaceutical supply vending machines, contact Intelligent Dispensing Solutions at 1-877-771-4446.

Inventory Management

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions takes pride in being leaders in serving companies manage their inventory. We are working to develop the best software and hardware to help all types of organizations save money.

“What we do at IDS is: How can we help with managing your operations?” said IDS VP of Sale John Van Horn. “So we put our efforts into our software from a managing perspective. Managing what you have and that could vary.”

Our inventory management and control solutions are designed to save you time and money. IDS has designed many successful applications to assist businesses, EMS, schools and hospitals securely dispense important supplies. Our applications are used to track supplies, sell products and control dispensing.

Companies spend a great deal of money either tracking inventory or losing money from “lost” invent. IDS has inventory management and control solutions that are easy, effective and automated so supplies and inventory can get in the hands of those they were intended for when they need it. We understand that for any organization it’s about the money.

“Historically 30% has been saved by using our equipment,” said Van Horn.

IDS is committed to working with our clients to create money saving solutions that allow them to spend time and money on responsibilities other than inventory control. Call us today at 1-877-771-4446 to learn how we can help you.

Vending Machines Aren’t Just for Snacks

                  It is most common for people to associate vending machines as only serving food and drinks. However, more and more we are seeing vending machines that have a variety of uses besides dispensing food. Businesses are understanding the value of convenience and the ease with which products can be stored and delivered in non-food vending machines. Vending machines also provide a secure location for items and easy tracking and inventory information.

                  Companies are learning that vending machines help them get their products in front of their possible customers sooner. A recent Small Business Trends article titled “Vending Machines Aren’t Just for Snacks Anymore” noted that companies are selling jackets and headphones out of electronics vending machines in airports. Vending machines help companies go to their customers rather than on relying their customers coming to them. In addition to airports, schools and universities are becoming popular places to place non-traditional vending machines.  These machines can help travelers that are missing something they want for their trip or a student who needs a piece of technology for class.  Fitness centers are also great places to reach a target market through automated dispensing. Just like in traditional snack vending where location is important and a business profits when they can take their product to where people interested in their product already are.

iVendTech Satellite Machine

                  Organizations are also learning how vending machines are efficient and cost effective ways to get necessary supplies to their own employees. Businesses can use vending machines to track supplies, so they know exactly who is taking the supplies, and can limit how many workers can take. Employees can also take supplies 24/7 and do not need to wait on anyone else to access what they need. Intelligent Dispensing Solutions had been very successful helping hospitals dispense and sort their scrubs and other medical supplies. IDS also has helped fire departments track and dispense emergency supplies. Improved inventory management with vending machines is helping organizations save money and better serve their workers.

             We will let other companies get customers snacks and drink. We are proud to be on the cutting edge of automated inventory management systems helping businesses save time and money. Helping companies develop automated retail plans to reach their target market is important to us. Intelligent Dispensing Solutions is excited about the future of vending and the growing awareness and opportunities to vend non-food items. Do you have an idea of something you would like to vend but need helping making it happen? Contact us today at 1-877-771-4446. We would love to learn how we can serve you!

IDS New Web Service Features

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions is excited to announce new web service features that will enhance reporting and accountability allowing you to further streamline administration costs. The new features include: Supply Room, Electronic Checklists and Ambulance Stock Inspection Sheets as well as Transaction Reporting.

Supply Room

Supply Room makes sure that you always have the items needed to restock your machine.  With Supply Room you can set critical alert level and par levels for items that are ready to be stocked in your IDS UCapit machine(s) and items that will remain stocked on the shelf. You can be alerted when you need to reorder products and if you need to restock products. Soon this service feature will include the ability to run purchase orders based on your supply levels in both machine and supply room.

Electronic Checklists and Ambulance Stock Inspection Sheets

Electronic Checklists and Ambulance Stock Inspection Sheets provide the ability to better manage tasks by creating your own checklist. The checklists tracks who completed a task and when. A completed task can be reported automatically by sending an email to the designated crew member. The completed checklist is easy to share with those on your team as well.

Electronic Checklists and Ambulance Stock Inspection Sheets

Electronic Checklists and Ambulance Stock Inspection Sheets provide the ability to better manage tasks by creating your own checklist. The checklists tracks who completed a task and when. A completed task can be reported automatically by sending an email to the designated crew member. The completed checklist is easy to share with those on your team as well.

Transaction Reporting

In the Transaction Reporting feature the allocation displays automatically when a report in run. For example, if you are prompting your crew members to enter the Run Number and Unit Number it will automatically display with the individual transaction record without having the change the account setting. Also, when you check the ‘Customize Columns’ box, further options for returning the data you want appears. You can now make selections for displaying the Lot Number and Expiration Dates. This means that the individual Lot Number and Expiration Date will display for each individual product that has been dispensed. Remember that any time you run a particular query, you can automate it.

IDS Advancing Technology

IDS expects to continue improving our solutions in order to provide your organization with increased value. Please contact us to schedule an online demo on these new web service features or have general questions about optimizing your use of the IDS UCapIt solution.

Customer Spotlight: Columbus Fire Division

Columbus Fire Division

This month, we want to highlight our customer, the City of Columbus Division of Fire (“Columbus Fire”).

In an effort to cut down on waste and human error and improve tracking of the life-saving medications that fire paramedics use every day, Columbus Fire has incorporated the use of IDS’ UCapIt Controlled Medical Supply Dispensing Pharmaceutical machines.

IDS machines have been strategically installed in 18 of the city’s 34 fire stations and the City is hoping to install more machines as the system saves the City more money, says Columbus Fire Chief, Kevin O’Connor.

The UCapIt system catalogs the drugs stored inside, tracks their expiration dates to avoid dispensing expired products, and alerts supervisors if the department is running low on any drugs ultimately reducing the amount of narcotics lost to expiration.

“The UCapIt solution gives us a greater accountability across the board for all of our medications,” said Patrick Ferguson, deputy chief of training for the division. The cloud-based tracking system “tells us what machine it was vended out of and the paramedic that took it out of the machine.”

The convenience of 24/7 real-time data featured in our medical vending machines is a huge asset to Columbus Fire. “Instead of logistics people running from station to station to verify quantity, we can just check that online,” Assistant Chief Jim Davis said.

Because the department ordered drugs in bulk every month, before implementing IDS’ solution more times than not they would order too much to avoid the possibility of having a dangerously low inventory. Now, firefighters can order drugs in smaller quantities more frequently, restocking drugs based on system tracking of inventory.

“This way the supplies get utilized before the expiration date,” O’Connor said.

Also, previously, the department relied on sign-in sheets and locked storage rooms to store drugs. With the new system, Davis said, “we can see who is taking what out. If somebody takes four (of a certain medication) we can ask them why they took four.”

The neighboring Jackson Township, Westerville and Grove City Fire Departments already utilize UCapIt.

For more information about our vending machines, visit www.idsvending.com .

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Machines

 

You may be tempted to buy an inexpensive dispensing machine as a way to cut costs and bulk up your bottom line, but you’ll probably want to rethink this. Though they are tempting, cheap vending machines come with many hidden costs.

Most of these dispensing machines have extremely limited capabilities and limited  upgrade options making them cost more than they are actually worth. Helix machines (traditional candy bar-type dispensers with a coil screw holding the product) are designed for low-SKU count, high-turnover applications. These machines work well in applications where the facility is using a high-volume of few products but won’t work well for most other applications such as manufacturing floors or EMS facilities that generally require high SKU and low volume machines. Cost-per-bin of helix machines is significantly higher than industry leading machines due to low-SKU count capabilities. In short, if you are looking for a machine that will help you  distribute a variety of product, this isn’t it.

Additionally,  low cost machines have some generally unknown fees and costs. Most maintenance, repair and operations supplies have to be repackaged in order to work in a low cost machine. This can only be done manually and can be incredibly labor intensive!

Most importantly, these machines are typically seriously lacking from a software standpoint.

Technological capabilities helix machines are missing include:

  • First-In, First-Out technology
  • Inventory algorithms for their replenishment systems
  • Easy integration into suppliers’ backend ERP systems
  • Managing both consigned inventory and end user owner inventory
  • They rely on remotely hosted web servers and so have limited onboard memory as well as potential to crash when internet connection is lost

The distributors selling these cheap dispensing machines don’t inform customers about these high costs. Instead, they just pass buyers along to their price per unit for their tools and supplies.

On the other hand, industry leaders in distribution are moving rapidly to more intelligent supply vending machines in order to keep their total costs globally competitive.

When you automate inventory management with an intelligent dispensing solution, you can replicate best practices and standardize business processes across your entire organization. The flexibility of our equipment along with iQ Technology offers an ideal asset management solution across almost any industry or application.  Equip your organization with the most seamless, technologically advanced inventory tracking system in the world.

Automated dispensing will lower your inventory costs and improve productivity while ultimately improving your organization’s bottom line.

For more information about our vending machines, visit www.idsvending.com .