Seven Modern Vending Features for a More Productive Office

Productivity is the name of the game in every office. There are only so many hours in the day and so many workers in the office, so getting the maximum production out of those people and hours is critical. If an office isn’t particularly productive from day to day, it’s safe to bet that a competitor will be—and will move ahead in the market as a result.

Did you know that partnering with a vending machine business to upgrade to modern equipment can lead to improved employee productivity? This might seem like a relatively small change, but when you look closer, it can have a major impact on daily operations.

Seven Vending Machine Features That Can Lead to Improved Employee Productivity

Cashless Payments

Cash isn’t obsolete yet, but few people carry around cash on a daily basis. Paper money has been replaced not only by credit and debit cards but more recently by mobile wallets and contactless payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. If your office vending only accepts cash, you stand to upgrade dramatically by making the switch to a modern machine with more advanced (and faster) options.

First and foremost, this move will improve employee satisfaction with office vending. Surely many of your employees have had the experience of going for a snack at the vending machine only to find they didn’t have any cash—or the cash mechanism didn’t work properly with their bills.

Also, transactions will be completed faster using cashless payments, meaning employees can get what they need and get back to work in a timely manner. That reduces downtime and should contribute to the boost in productivity that we discussed above.

Healthy Snack Options

Let’s be honest—when most people think of a standard office vending machine, they don’t think about food that would be categorized as “healthy.” Traditionally, vending machines have been the domain of snacks like sugar-rich candy bars and salty chips. While we can acknowledge that those treats have their place, they probably aren’t the foundation for healthy individuals or a healthy workforce.

Modern vending machines can change the story by offering a wide range of food options, including healthy choices. Whether it’s nuts, yogurt, fresh fruit, or low-sugar drinks, a modern vending machine can leave workers energized and ready for the rest of the day rather than leading them to a sugar crash and the inevitable afternoon drop in energy that so many people have experienced.

You might be surprised by how many people in the office will appreciate the availability of healthy snack options. There is a growing trend toward “good-for-your snacking”, with lower-calorie, lower-fat, and organic snacks becoming more and more available. With an upgrade in vending snack options is likely to come an upgrade in overall employee health and wellness.

A Customizable Assortment

This is another area where modern vending has made big strides. With InReach, you can easily customize the product selections stocked in the machines in your office. These selections can be informed by things like dietary restrictions among your team members, employee preferences, local favorites, and more. 

Over time, the mix can be fine-tuned based on sales results to make sure what is in the machine is exactly what will serve your team most effectively. Using data from your machines to see clearly what your people want to eat will allow you to make changes with confidence and the performance of the vending program will only improve over time.

Remote Monitoring and Inventory Management

An empty vending machine isn’t useful for anyone. When an employee gets up from their desk to head to the vending machine and find a snack, they should find plenty of options available. If the machine is half empty, they might just walk back to their desk hungry or head to their car to go elsewhere for food. Neither of those outcomes is ideal, of course, so it’s best to make sure inventory in your machines is managed properly.

This is another area where modern machines have a huge advantage. Instead of just hoping the inventory will last until the next scheduled refill, the machine will report its inventory levels in real-time so the right products can be restocked before they are gone. Such intelligent product management elevates the user experience while cutting down on waste at the same time.

5. An Interactive, Intuitive Interface

How many times have you used an old vending machine only to not get the product you wanted? The button systems on old machines could be confusing and didn’t always work as intended. Modern vending machines solve this problem through the use of smart and interactive interfaces.

Not only will all employees be able to get exactly what they expect from the machine, but additional information can also be provided on the displays as a separate vending machine feature. This includes things like the nutritional information for each item, any promotional offers that might be available, and more. In the end, more employees will use the machines, and their satisfaction with the experience will climb.

Energy-Efficient Designs

If your business, like so many others, is focused on sustainability concerns, moving to a modern vending machine is yet another step you can take in that direction. With a modern machine, you are likely to find that a number of sustainability steps were used in the construction and design of the unit. This will help you reach company-wide goals on sustainability and will also please any of your employees who are focused on such matters.

All beverage machines available through InReach are ENERGY STAR certified, meaning they save roughly 1,000 kWh annually. This is accomplished through the use of more efficient compressors, fan motors, and lighting systems. 

Of course, while doing right by the environment is an important step, so too is saving money. Where you find energy savings, you tend to find cost savings, too. With your vending machines using less energy throughout the day and night, they will cost less to run, and their overall impact on your business will become more positive.

Smart Vending

The vending machines of the future use technology to take incredible leaps in terms of performance and customer experience. If your employees search for a “vending machine near me” and find one of these advanced devices in your office, they are sure to be impressed. 

InReach is proud to deliver the future of vending to our customers. For example, the incredible VICKI machine can talk and respond to customers. Or, there is the Just Baked machine that offers hot food ordered through a large, intuitive display. 

To keep things as fresh as possible, the Farmer’s Fridge is a great choice. This is a machine that presents customers with upscale salad options in convenient containers that are perfect for eating healthy on the go. 

Take a Step Into the Future of Vending Today

What are the seven benefits of a vending machine? When talking about a modern machine offered by a company like InReach, you can expect benefits like those we described above: convenient pay, healthy options, customization, automated inventory management, interactivity, energy efficiency, and smart vending.

Now is the time to upgrade the vending experience in your office. With so many incredible features available in modern systems and the potential to boost productivity in your office with a single improvement, the choice is easy. Find customized solutions that will serve your people effectively while seamlessly fitting into your space.

Maximize your office’s productivity with modern vending features from InReach!