Turning downtime into uptime: How Gedac Vending transformed with IoT connectivity from Coges
17 Oct
2024

Meet Gedac Vending, a long-standing vending operator in Italy. Like many in the business, they faced challenges in managing their widely spread vending machine fleet. To improve their operations and keep customers happy, they needed a smart, comprehensive solution—and that’s where Coges, a leader in payment systems and IoT technology for vending and coffee business, stepped in. 

The Challenge: overcoming operational roadblocks 

Before working with Coges, Gedac Vending faced several key issues: 

  • Breakdowns without alerts: Vending machines in public areas often malfunctioned without warning, leading to unreported downtime—and lost sales. 
  • Restocking inefficiencies: Their restocking strategy relied on outdated data, leading to inconsistent stock levels and less-than-optimal machine performance. 
  • Refund frustrations: Without real-time data, processing refunds was slow and inaccurate, negatively affecting customer satisfaction and revenue. 

The Solution: real-time IoT connectivity with Coges 

Enter Coges’ Engine Connect devices—a game-changer for Gedac Vending fleet. By seamlessly integrating these devices into their vending machines, Coges enabled real-time monitoring and management through their cloud platform. And since Gedac Vending was already a long-term customer of Coges, the whole integration process was quick, smooth, and required minimal downtime. 

The Results: boosting efficiency and revenue 

Here’s how things changed for Gedac Vending: 

  • Less downtime, more sales: With real-time alerts, Gedac Vending operations team could fix machines before their breakdowns turned into lost sales—leading to increased revenue. 
  • Optimized restocking: Real-time inventory tracking allowed Gedac Vending to fine-tune their restocking process, ensuring machines were always well-stocked while reducing waste—whether that’s fuel, time, or product. 
  • Streamlined transactions: With real-time sales data, Gedac Vending was able to speed up and improve the accuracy of refunds, making customers happier and operations smoother. 
  • Remote updates: Now, Gedac Vending IT team can update payment systems and firmware remotely, saving time and resources while ensuring their machines are always up to date. 
  • Seamless software integration: Coges’ IoT system integrates effortlessly with Gedac Vending existing software, Vega Digisoft, making it easier for business managers to access data and oversee operations. 
  • Sales insights: Gedac Vending sales team now gets detailed insights into sales, from the time of purchase to the payment method used (whether it’s MyKey, cash, credit card, or mobile app). This helps them tailor their approach to each location, maximizing performance. 

 

A Trusted Partnership 

Throughout their collaboration, Coges provided top-notch customer service, ensuring Gedac Vending could fully leverage their telemetry system without missing a beat. The result? Significant operational improvements and a measurable boost in revenue. 

Conclusion 

For any vending operator, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency are crucial for success. By adopting Coges’ IoT solution, Gedac Vending not only solved their operational challenges but also gained significant improvements in performance and revenue. The real-time data, seamless connectivity, and remote management tools are game changers for anyone managing a fleet of vending machines. If you’re in the vending business and looking to stay competitive, solutions like this are no longer optional—they’re essential. 

  

Ready to revolutionize your operations? Contact Coges today: marketing@coges.eu 

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Revolutionizing Vending Machine Management with Connectivity
30 Sep
2024

How Coges Helped Broderick’s Increase Sales and Efficiency

Broderick’s, an award-winning luxury coffee and refreshments company, operates 5,000 vending machines across the UK, supported by boutique coffee bars and a dedicated team of 160 employees. Despite its growth and success, the Manchester-based company faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, with reduced consumption, a shift away from cash transactions, and logistical difficulties in managing vending machines scattered nationwide.

The Challenge: Adapting to New Realities in Vending

As the pandemic forced changes across the industry, Broderick’s identified the need to modernize its operations. They were eager to adopt cashless payment solutions and find ways to remotely manage their vending machines to reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency.

Simon Davies, Business Intelligence Manager at Broderick’s, explained:
“In 2019, Broderick’s were looking to start their journey into going cashless. With Covid hitting the company hard, we were looking to evolve our business into unknown territory for our industry where our products, locations and contracts are run by data.“

The Solution: Coges Nebular Connectivity and Pay4Vend

Broderick’s had already partnered with Coges, thanks to the Pay4Vend smartphone payment system. However, the challenges brought on by the pandemic required a more comprehensive solution. Coges introduced the Coges Engine system integrated with the Nebular connectivity platform. This advanced technology allowed Broderick’s to not only enable cashless payments but also manage vending machines remotely through real-time, bidirectional data transmission.

This digital transformation involved revising some of Broderick’s traditional operational procedures. Working closely with Coges’ sales and customer service teams, Broderick’s successfully transitioned to the new system.

Key Benefits of the Nebular Connectivity Platform:

  • Real-time Data Transmission: Enabled real-time monitoring of vending machines, reducing downtime and improving efficiency.
  • Cashless Payments: Increased the adoption of cashless payments via Pay4Vend, providing a seamless customer experience.
  • Remote Management: Allowed for remote diagnostics and error resolution, decreasing the need for on-site visits.

Simon Davies recalled:
“After reviewing several competitors, we decided on Coges and with Nebular. The main selling points were the live data and the use of Pay4Vend. This was a very complex time for us, many archaic operating techniques were heavily shaken and new procedures were created. We quickly started to invest in more and more Engines as we saw the benefit of going cashless. Simultaneously, we worked on using the data to make basic reporting tools. The Coges team have helped us every step of the way and over the next few years we increased our engine capacity and today over 70% of our operated business runs through these Engines with this amount growing.”

The Impact: Increased Sales, Reduced Costs, and Improved Customer Satisfaction

The introduction of Nebular connectivity has transformed Broderick’s vending machine operations. By leveraging real-time data, the company has optimized engineer visits and refilling schedules, significantly reducing errors and improving machine uptime. Additionally, sales have increased, and customer satisfaction has grown due to faster response times to issues and enhanced reliability.

Broderick’s now has 1,800 vending machines connected via Nebular, allowing for precise stock management and pre-kitting, leading to an estimated savings of £100,000 to £200,000—equivalent to 1-2% of total costs.

Furthermore, Broderick’s continues to monitor machine sales down to the minute, addressing signal issues and ensuring optimal performance.

Simon highlighted the real-time benefits:
“We are able to monitor the sales to within the minute to find out if there are any signal issues and how badly it affected us. We have live alarms and signal data which help us identify buildings which may need signal boosters and which don’t need them.”

Pay4Vend: Enhancing Customer Loyalty and Engagement

The Pay4Vend app has also played a pivotal role in boosting sales and enhancing customer engagement. With over 70,000 downloads, the app has allowed Broderick’s to run loyalty programs and special offers, leading to a 5% increase in sales.

“We have regular prize giving and special offers with our 70,000 users and regularly have dialogue with them regarding different queries they may have. Our customers love that we are able to keep their workforce/staff and students happy,” Simon said.

Looking Ahead: Future Collaboration and Innovation

The partnership between Coges and Broderick’s continues to evolve, with plans to integrate marketing and advertising capabilities through Nebular, further optimizing customer engagement and driving sales. Broderick’s looks forward to ongoing collaboration and exploring new opportunities to enhance vending machine management and customer satisfaction.

Contact Us to Learn More

Are you ready to improve your vending management efficiency with cashless payment systems and real-time data? Contact us at marketing@coges.eu to learn how the Coges Nebular connectivity platform can help transform your business.

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Meet Alessio: From Master’s Degree to Firmware Leadership at Coges
25 Sep
2024

Alessio joined Coges in 2023, fresh from completing his master’s degree in electronic engineering. From the moment he started working with us and dove deeper into firmware product design, it became clear that he not only possesses excellent technical skills but also has the ability to organize, lead, inspire, and manage. His can-do attitude and consistently positive approach to his work have played a significant role in accelerating our firmware development. After just six months, Alessio is now our FW Product Owner, effectively managing our firmware sprints—two-week development cycles that culminate in an integration test. He coordinates with our hardware, software, testing departments, and the PMO to ensure continuous innovation and progress in our products. Alessio has also collaborated with the Industrialization department on important upgrades and automation in our production process.

What motivated you to join Coges right after completing your master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, and how did your academic background prepare you for your role here?
It was partly by chance: I had just decided not to pursue a Ph.D., Coges was a great opportunity not too far from home, and I decided to take on this new adventure in a field I didn’t know. My academic background helped me develop a method to face challenges, avoiding panic at the first sign of difficulty. However, I’m very grateful for the more technical and practical skills I learned in high school at the Chilesotti Technical Institute, which introduced me to and ignited my passion for the fascinating world of electronics.

You quickly took on a leadership role (i.e., your role as FW product owner/backlog owner): What do you think helped you develop these skills so quickly?
For sure the great team I found at Coges: they were very helpful in guiding me through the study of the products and tools used. Then, of course, a bit of luck and company needs!

How has your mindset or approach to work changed since you started here?
One phrase that really struck me from Emilio de la Hita (my Team Leader) when I first arrived was: “Before developing firmware and creating something, you need to know your teammates well.” I think this is really meaningful in understanding the company’s focus on the people before the work itself, and I believe this has influenced me a lot.

What is one thing you are proud to have achieved at Coges?
I haven’t achieved anything particularly significant compared to what’s already been accomplished! I’m very happy to have worked with Fabio to simplify programming in production and to have experimented with some interesting functionalities for the Elysium sniffer.

What do you like most about your job at Coges?
I enjoy analysing problems and thinking through solutions, but I’m also thrilled when I have to look for new technologies to use and experiment with: electronics is an immense world, and there are truly incredible functionalities!

What’s something about you that we wouldn’t find on your resume?
I always like to point out that, even though it may not be directly related to my profession, a significant contribution to my personal growth and character came from my experiences with the parish and Catholic Action: I think they are excellent life training grounds, and many of my traits have been shaped by these experiences! In my free time (although lately, I don’t have much), I enjoy digging holes with the excavator or driving the tractor!

If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose and why?
If I could have a superpower, I would choose telepathy. It would be incredibly useful for better understanding the needs of clients and colleagues, facilitating communication and collaboration at work. It could also help me grasp technical problems more quickly by “reading” the necessary information from the minds of experts. Naturally, I would use this power responsibly and respectfully regarding others’ privacy. But my favourite superpower right now is ChatGPT, which answers these types of questions for me!

With Alessio’s leadership, Coges continues to develop new solutions in payment technologies, ensuring that innovation is always at the forefront.

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Evex 2024 in Cannes
17 Sep
2024

Exciting News in the World of Vending! Join us from 16 to 18 October in the iconic Cannes, France, for the highly anticipated EVEX 2024. This year’s event is extra special as it’s in collaboration with LE FORUM and NAVSA.

We, at Coges, are thrilled to be showcasing alongside Azkoyen and Vendon at Stand 22! Come explore the latest innovations in coffee technology and automatic distribution, presented by the Azkoyen Group.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the future of vending—see you in Cannes!

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Coges launches the new QPAYPos credit card reader
31 Jul
2024

Coges, a leader in payment system innovation, is pleased to announce the launch of its latest product, QPAYPos. The QPAYPos credit card reader is a highly customizable, easy to configure and simple to use device that allows you to enable cashless payment at any point of sale.

The main strength of QPAYPos, in addition to the speed of data transmission, is the attention paid to the user experience and the purchasing interface. The QPAYPos reader was designed with the user in mind: setup is simple and intuitive, allowing you to get up and running quickly. The user-friendly interface guarantees an uncomplicated user experience for both operators and customers, also allowing the PIN to be entered directly on the reader’s touch screen.

“With QPAYPos, unattended stores can now offer a shopping experience comparable to that of a retail store.” Observes Daniele Ioriatti, sales manager of Coges “This innovative credit card reader transforms vending machines, making them more modern and attractive for customers. Its field of application is not limited to the world of vending: from HoReCa to parking, from EV charging stations to car washes, QPAYPos has the functionality and reliability necessary for any unattended point of sale.”

QPAYPos is compatible with all credit cards, including smartphone payments. This ensures that users can use the payment method they prefer, improving accessibility and convenience and avoiding lost sales in both busy and closed locations. To ensure maximum security and durability, QPAYPos is also available in a vandal-proof version, ideal for public environments.

The device not only manages credit card transactions, but in vending it is also useful for recharging MyKey cashless media, making QPAYPos a complete solution for all payment needs: it can be installed independently or connected to a Coges payment system to make the most of its potential, integrating it with the management of closed-circuit cashless media and cash. Furthermore, in its various versions, QPAYPos supports both contactless and chip and magnetic stripe cards, offering unparalleled versatility and ensuring compatibility with a wide range of payment cards.

QPAYPos will be available for purchase starting in October. For further information, questions or to order QPAYPos, contact our sales network or visit our website www.coges.eu.

We are excited to introduce QPAYPos to the market and we are sure that it will represent a new step forward towards an increasingly innovative and connected payment technology, revolutionizing the way customers interact with vending machines and all unattended points of sale.

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The new MyKey designed for those who love the environment
31 Jul
2024

Coges presents the new version of the MyKey cashless key, made with 100% recycled plastic for a lower environmental impact

The world of vending has been dealing with the issues of environmental sustainability and waste reduction for many years, seeking solutions that can improve the impact of our industry on the environment and meet the increasingly aware needs of end users. To meet these needs, Coges is proud to offer the new MyKey made from completely recycled plastics.

“Coges MyKey is one of the most loved payment media in automatic distribution due to its immediacy and practicality of use, so much so that it has become an indispensable support for coffee breaks in Italy and in other Countries.” Underlines Daniele Ioriatti, sales manager of Coges. “The new version of MyKey, previewed at Venditalia 2024 and available in an exclusive black color, contributes to reducing the demand for virgin plastic and creating a circular economy, in which materials are reused and recycled.”

The new plastic has the same characteristics as the other versions of MyKey both from a functional point of view and in terms of resistance to daily wear and durability. With the new 100% RECYCLED MYKEY, Operators will be able to demonstrate their concrete commitment to a more sustainable future, distinguishing themselves from the competition and attracting customers who are increasingly sensitive to the environment.

We are confident that the 100% RECYCLED MYKEY represents a significant contribution towards more environmentally friendly vending. Contact our sales network or visit our website to find out how to purchase 100% RECYCLED MYKEY and start making a difference in your business!

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Summer holidays
30 Jul
2024

We inform you that COGES S.p.A. will be closed during summer holidays from Monday 5th up to Monday 19th  August included.

For any technical issue you can send an email to technical.support@coges.eu or call:

  • Marta Leonardi at the number +39 3481514520 from the day 5th to the 7th
  • Davide Rossato at the number +39 3921319115 from the day 8 to the 13th
  • Michele Gardellin at the number +39 3484696082 from the day 14 to the 19th
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Coges and Vendon Set to Showcase New Solutions at Venditalia 2024
24 Apr
2024

Coges, a payment systems leader for vending machines, alongside Vendon, a top provider of telemetry and payment solutions for the coffee and vending industry, are thrilled to announce their participation in Venditalia 2024 marking this exhibition as a significant milestone in their synergy consolidating their expertise under one roof.

Exciting news awaits at Venditalia as both companies are set to unveil an integrated IoT platform tailored for data-driven success and business optimization specifically targeting cost-saving initiatives through remote management of the machine and payment devices. Coges will additionally present its latest product “Elysium,” a system that connects payment systems to vending machine displays, along with a focus on open-loop cashless systems. In turn, Vendon will present new advanced Route Planning functionalities for generating highly efficient routes seamlessly leveraging historical data, real-time inventory analytics, and location prioritization, ensuring optimal logistics management.

Discover all the news of Venditalia 2024 in our brochure!

The joint presence of Coges and Vendon at Venditalia will be a turning point for the partnership between the companies and a new milestone in their ever-growing synergy. In addition to showcasing their newest solutions, both companies will focus on the huge advantage of using Vendon telemetry solutions and Coges cashless payment products in combination. This collaboration aims to provide vending businesses with complete payment and telemetry solutions, enabling data-driven decisions, cost reduction, and utilization of a comprehensive loyalty platform to enhance customer engagement.

Daniele Ioriatti, Sales Manager of Coges, shares his enthusiasm for the collaboration: “I highly value the partnership between Coges and Vendon. It’s very important to have this synergy and mutual benefit in order to create valuable products for operators. With Coges payment systems and Vendon IoT and telemetry solutions complementing each other, we can bring a higher added value to our customers in the vending industry and adapt to their needs even better.”

Janis Jukna, Head of Sales at Vendon, also shares the importance of this partnership: “Coges and Vendon are global players and recognized as points of reference in their respective sectors. Our collaboration allows us to offer the most complete payment, loyalty, and telemetry solutions for the world of vending. Our solutions are compatible with most vending machine brands and models in the market, and we remain open to integration with third-party services to provide the best possible experience for our clients.”

An integrated IoT platform – Vendon Cloud – is initially designed to help operators make informed decisions that are based on data, allows to eliminate machine downtime and to reduce costs by offering various features, including real-time monitoring, remote management, technical event alerts, route planning, stock control, transaction monitoring, preventative maintenance, etc.

Moreover, the IoT platform includes an advanced loyalty solution known as QuickPik. QuickPik consists of a Loyalty Platform and Payment App, seamlessly integrating with employee loyalty programs and mobile payment applications. This innovative solution empowers businesses to reward customers with bonuses and facilitate swift, secure transactions.

With a shared commitment to excellence and innovation, Coges and Vendon are aiming to expand their presence in the vending industry. As global leaders in the vending payment system and telemetry field, planning to expand their reach and drive growth in the Italian market as well as the entire European market.

Venditalia is the top international vending trade show, taking place in Fiera Milano, Rho, from May 15th to 18th, 2024. The event is a global stage that will allow all operators in the industry to connect, learn, and grow in the vending sector on an international level. Visit Coges and Vendon at Venditalia 2024 at stand F10 – G09 (Hall 8) to get some firsthand insights into the newest telemetry and payment solutions for vending businesses.

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Coges joins the Common Smartcard Solution Association
09 Apr
2024

Coges is proud to announce today its membership in the German association Common Smartcard Solution Association (CSSA), dedicated to fostering standardized data structures for RFID applications. The aim of this association is to support modern closed-loop payment systems in community catering, campus and leisure projects as well as access control.

“This membership represents a further step forward by Coges towards strengthening its presence in Germany.” comments Günter Maas, Country Manager of Coges “We intend to contribute to the activities of this association with the aim of offering even greater transparency and security to managers in the vending and in the catering sector, closely interconnected markets especially in operators and in the D/A/CH area countries.”

The Common Smartcard association has developed an innovative smartcard data structure called openCashFile (oCF) together with leading payment companies. oCF is a data structure that provides extended and overarching functionality for digital wallets on virtually all smartcards technologies. Many enterprises have joined the Common Smartcard initiative. They include big-name companies in the smartcard industry, as well as individual professionals involved as consultants in RFID projects. All the members are committed to the Association’s goal of developing and applying common standards and data structures for their customers.

“The purpose of our membership is making our solutions even more flexible with respect to the growing demand for integration. More and more projects are involving complementary industries and ask for interconnected technologies” remarks Lorenzo Giuliani, Export Sales Manager of Coges “Our company has extensive experience in closed-loop systems throughout Europe, we are confident that we could contribute constructively to the mission of this association to offer customers a wider choice of options and a high standard of quality.”

With over forty-five years in the industry, Coges is a European leader in the design and manufacture of cashless and cash payment systems for vending machines. The use of cashless payment systems makes it possible to set a differentiated pricing policy in vending machines, to anticipate revenue from sales and to reduce cash handling costs, while providing accurate accounting data. Coges’ cashless systems use the best of MIFARE and LEGIC technologies or its proprietary encrypted system.

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Coges and Vendon join BDV association in Germany
14 Mar
2024

Coges, a leader in the design and manufacturing of payment systems for vending machines, and Vendon, telemetry and payment solution provider for coffee and vending business, are pleased to officially announce their membership in the German Vending Association (BDV).

Coges’s and Vendon’s entry into the BDV underscores our ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in the vending industry in Germany. The association provides a unique forum for vending industry companies to collaborate, share knowledge, and address common challenges, thereby promoting sustainable growth and increased industry awareness.

“Our membership in the German Vending Association emphasizes our dedication to contributing to the progress of the industry in Germany,” said Günter Maas, Country Manager for Coges and Vendon in Germany “We will actively collaborate with other member companies to foster innovation, quality, and sustainability in the vending sector. We are currently present on the German market through two official resellers, but we are proud to be able to make our contribution to the BDV also directly with our companies.”

The German Vending Association is recognized for its leadership in promoting best practices, training, and development in the German vending industry. “Coges and Vendon’s simultaneous entry into the association is aimed at further deepening the coordination between these two companies of the Azkoyen Group in Germany.” noted Raivis Vaitekūns, Global Partnership Manager of Vendon, “ We want to provide the entire industry with the most innovative payment systems and connectivity solutions integrated into a complete package. Moreover, the Azkoyen Group is currently the only one to have three companies present in the EVA committee for the new EVA standard and this offers us opportunities that we will be happy to share with the BDV network.”

“Through our participation,” added Lorenzo Giuliani, Sales Manager for Coges, “We aim to contribute to the association’s progress thanks to our experience in both cash and cashless payment systems and connectivity. Our coin and banknote validators can rely on a large database of currencies to help vending operators improve their business opportunities on numerous markets. As regards payment systems, we are also active in managing issues relating to the new fiscalization rules that are appearing in various European countries. We are confident that these peculiarities of our companies will benefit the entire association.”

For more information about the German Vending Association (BDV), please visit the official website: https://www.bdv-vending.de/.

For further details on Coges’s and Vendon’s membership and future outlook, please contact Günter Maas at guntermaas@coges.eu, Lorenzo Giuliani at lorenzo.giuliani@coges.eu or Raivis Vaitekūns at raivis.vaitekuns@vendon.net.

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