I’m curious to know if anyone here has explored the possibility of using Dolibarr ERP/CRM to manage vending machines. Given the versatility of Dolibarr, I believe it could potentially serve as an effective management system for vending operations.
One practical approach could involve leveraging the Point of Sale (POS) module. The idea would be to set up each vending machine as a separate POS in Dolibarr. This setup would allow for precise tracking and management of each machine’s transactions and inventory.
To streamline inventory management, each vending machine could be linked to its own warehouse in Dolibarr, which would represent the actual stock contained within the machine. This connection ensures that the inventory levels are updated in real time, reflecting the current stock available directly in the system.
For customer transactions, we could set the default customer to be the vending machine itself. This setup would simplify the sales process, making it a seamless internal operation within Dolibarr, and ensuring that sales data is consistently recorded and easy to analyze.
The primary challenge would be establishing a communication link between Dolibarr and the vending machines. This would require some technical integration, perhaps through the development of a specific module or utilizing existing APIs that can interact with the vending machine hardware. Such a module would greatly enhance Dolibarr’s capabilities, turning it into a comprehensive Vending Machine Management System (VMS).
This concept could serve as a robust base for further development, possibly inspiring the creation of a dedicated VMS module within the Dolibarr community. I’m eager to hear if anyone has attempted something similar, or if there are any thoughts on potential challenges or additional features that could be integrated into this setup.
Does this have to be real time? Real time would probably be best because then when one product sells out you could potentially alert someone to restock the vending machine.
But I am unsure if vending machines can be programmed to run your own code. Do they even have the possibility to connect to a server?
I would kind of expect that modern vending machines would come with the manufactures own software to manage the vending machines to set and monitor stock, prices, temperature, location, …
Yes, it would indeed have to be real-time to effectively manage stock levels and alerts for restocking. To run your own code or to read actions performed by the vending machine, you would generally need to attach a telemetry device. These devices facilitate communication with a server and can monitor various metrics and operations of the machine.
However, it’s not common to find “open source” telemetry devices, or those that don’t come without a pre included Vending Management System which costs a monthly fee. Most VMS are integrated with the machine’s payment systems, including credit card readers, and they typically require a monthly subscription fee per machine. Many vending machines allow configurations directly on their modules in the machine, but certain setups with integrated credit card readers and VMS can be configured within the VMS.
In the context of using something like Dolibarr, it would primarily serve as a record-keeping tool rather than directly modifying or controlling the vending machine’s functions.
