C O M P A N Y O V E R V I E W
Vianet Limited seeks to enhance customers’ profitability through its flexible solutions This world-leading company has won a reputation for innovation and continues to develop good ideas and products for the benefit of the leisure, gaming and vending sectors Written by: Vianet Limited Produced by: Craig Daniels
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VIANET LIMITED
“The flexibility of our products and services enable our customers to reduce operating costs, improve rate of sale and optimise their asset utilisation, delivering a compelling return on their investment” – Steve Alton, Managing Director
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ianet Ltd is a world leader in providing International and UK companies with telemetry and software solutions for data capture and analysis in the leisure, gaming and vending sectors and recently launched its new cashless solutions to the vending sector. Supplying a full end to end solution to their customers, Vianet’s products enable customers to get complete operating transparency allowing substantial cost reduction and increased sales resulting in improved profitability. Over recent years Vianet has been key in the development and innovation of machine reporting and cashless solutions in the Vending industry which has enabled International Brand Owners and Operators in the UK and European vending sectors to understand and develop market leading opportunities in this sector. Steve Alton, Vianet Ltd’s Managing Director, said: “The flexibility of our products and services enable our customers to reduce operating costs, improve rate of sale and optimise their asset utilisation, delivering a compelling return on their investment. “This applies to both snack and can vending and more recently coffee vending with the growth in bean to cup in the market place. “Using our unique solutions plus working with our customers to understand their business needs we are helping deliver operational excellence by enabling them to provide a superior vending service in a more efficient and cost effective way.”
TECHNOLOGY
System Overview
Vianet’s products enable customers to get complete operating transparency
Key information Vianet’s reporting solution Vendexpert provides key management information that machine operators can act on allowing them to make up to the minute informed decisions. This enables improved operational transparency allowing customers to maximise
The VendExpert Management System is a unique software platform specifically designed to maximize vending profitability. By harnessing the benefits of both GSM wireless telemetry and secure online data processing, VendExpert realizes, for the first time, the full potential of remote M2M (Machine to Machine) monitoring, providing you with multi-level, real-time access to front line management information. Combining accurate data capture with VendExpert’s adaptive software architecture the control of every aspect of the vending supply/operational chain can be optimized and be tailored to the individual requirements of any business.
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VIANET LIMITED
http://www.vendexpert. com/Marketing/ SystemOverview.aspx
System features diagram
vending revenues and profit through a variety of ways, including: Reducing operating costs by as much as 30 percent through reducing staff costs, improving operational efficiency, reducing fuel costs, having planned maintenance improving machine performance and up-time. Also Increasing revenues through increased rate of sale of 20 percent, better product and channel insight, improved product range and availability; and latest cashless solutions enabling the consumer to purchase products any time of day even if they don’t have cash - all they need is their debit or credit card. In recent years the UK vending market has seen
Vianet is a market leader in providing M2M solutions across a range of sectors including hospitality, vending, fuel and energy management. Working with customers we have helped them reduce costs by 28%, increase sales by up to 19% and gain insights into their businesses they didn’t know were possible. Our expertise is in connectivity and providing information to support business decisions – let us help you get the information you need to improve your business.
Call us now on: 01642 358800
www.vendexpert.com
TECHNOLOGY
a rapid decline in cup coffee sales which has probably been driven by the new “coffee culture”. Consumers have discovered quality barista coffee, bean to cup, which has driven the demand in the vending machines. Manufacturers have worked hard at delivering new bean to cup hardware to enable operators to supply the coffee the consumer wants, however maintaining the consistent quality on every drink has been a major problem thus not always giving the consumer the best experience and creating a negative reaction. Providing solutions Vianet recognised that standard telemetry was not the answer in this sector due to the variation in MDB’s (Machine Data Boards) so a solution was developed enabling both the operator and machine manufacturer access to the data to deliver an “every cup perfect” policy. Working with a number of manufacturers Vianet has designed new hardware and software which will work with the new coffee vending machines. The telemetry and software running on it have been developed with a flexible interface which enables them to read the machine data from a multitude of different manufacturers. James Nicholson, Franke Managing Director, said: “A year ago, one of our customers asked if we could provide telemetry in our machines so they could be deployed in various locations and be monitored remotely.
Key Personnel Stewart Darling CEO Vianet Group Plc
Steve Alton Managing Director Barry Lowe Business Development Director Vianet Leisure Ltd Alison Martinez Client Director Vianet
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VIANET LIMITED
“Vianet’s telemetry enables us to ensure Costa customers get the best cup of coffee possible served to our high standards” – Steve Alton
Costa vending machine 8
“At the time we could not provide this service as there wasn’t anybody who could provide a solution that could capture the data and transmit it back to us or our customer. “With this in mind we worked closely with Vianet to deliver a solution for our customers and now they can remotely monitor drink sales along with other key performance measures in our Pura machines. “We found Vianet’s approach to our requirements extremely innovative and professional; this work has now led to us involving Vianet on our new range of machines to ensure we can capture the right data remotely going forward. A key benefit for Franke is that the VendExpert platform enables us to also remotely view the performance of our machines which helps us provide our customers with greater support.” Consistent quality Developments with the machine manufacturers and operators have enabled both parties to get daily information from their coffee machines ensuring the drink settings are maintained at the required level thus ensuring the quality of every drink served. Inconsistences are reported via VendExpert and the operator is able to take corrective action. With the help of these advancements consistent quality barista-style vended coffee is now available in many areas including motorway services, petrol stations, hospitals, retail outlets
TECHNOLOGY
and offices. However, managing an estate of these machines can be difficult and costly. Due to the advancements and information provided by Vianet vending operators can now compete in this growing market with a consistent quality bean to cup coffee offering with the knowledge they can get key data quickly and in a format they can action. Kirsty Norris, Operations Development Manager of Costa Coffee, explained: “We have been working with Vianet since the early days of Coffee Nation. “Vianet has been innovative in working with our machine suppliers to provide a host of information in relation to the coffee we serve, including cleaning performance and brand compliance. “Vianet’s telemetry enables us to ensure Costa customers get the best cup of coffee possible served to our high standards.” Increasing profitability Alton concluded: “Vianet’s aim is to provide commercial propositions for leading vending businesses both operators and brand owners. “Our transparent vending solutions drive rate of sale and profitability for our customers. Results from all data collected is analysed and reports securely delivered over the internet, so there’s no need to invest in costly back office software. We’re very proud of our business and its focus on increasing profitability for our customers.”
Company Information INDUSTRY
Technology Services HEADQUARTERS
Stockton-on-Tees FOUNDED
1992 EMPLOYEES
151 REVENUE
FY ending 31/03/2014 £14.0m PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
Vending - Vitel, Pico, Ultra, Vendexpert, Leisure - I-Draught; BMS; Gaming - Machine Insight, RDC
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VIANET LIMITED One Surtees Way, Stockton- on Tees ,UK, TS18 3HR Tel. +44(0)1642 358 800 Fax. +44(0)1642 358 820 info@vianet.co.uk www.vianetplc.com