The
Alpha
vending system

This is a computer software system designed to help you to control your vending machines business. If your firm supplies stock to vending-machines that dispense snacks, coffee or other hot drinks, cola or other cold drinks cans, cigarettes, sandwiches, condoms, tampons, etc, we can help you.

The Alpha computer system has 7 main sections :

1.   Set-up details 2.   Routes 3.   Recording visits 4.   Stock control 5.   Invoicing & Royalties 6.   Management Reports 7.   Customized & End-of-year.

You choose them from the Main Menu Screen shown below:

In each section you just click on the item you want.

Each main section is described in more detail below:

1. Set-up Details

This section stores all your information about:

•   your suppliers
•   product categories (eg. cans, snacks, hot-drink ingredients, etc.)
•   products (eg. pepsi-cola, polo mints, coffee, sugar, whitener, etc.)
•   your operators (drivers) and engineers
•   your customer sites
•   the machines on each of those sites
•   the products in each of those machines.

2. Routes

This section allows you to plan your routes.  A 'route' is a set of visits, defined by you (ie. a particular operator/driver visiting a set of customer sites over a day or a period of days).

Once you have planned your routes, Alpha will produce 'Operator Fill Sheets' for each route, including:

• A summary sheet for each route,
• A packing list for use in the warehouse.  The operator is shown what stock s/he requires for the route.
• Individual visit sheets for each machine.  The operator is shown where to find the machine, what products to refill, and also asked to record the details of what s/he does during the visit.

3. Recording visits

This section helps you record the visits your operators have performed.
Alpha checks that you have received the correct amount of cash from each machine, and stores each visit for future retrieval and analysis.
Engineers : you can also log requests for engineers, and record when and why engineers visit customers' sites.

4. Stock Control

This section records your suppliers' deliveries into your warehouse, and the stock issues from the warehouse into your operators' vans.

At any time you can view:

•  the current stock levels in the warehouse,
•  the current stock levels in each operator's van,
•  the current stock levels across your customers' sites.

5. Invoicing & Royalties

In this section, you tell Alpha

• if and how you want to invoice each of your customers' sites, and
• on what basis, if any, you will pay royalties back to those sites.

Alpha will then automatically produce invoices & royalty statements on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or ad-hoc basis.

6. Management Reports

In this important section, Alpha will analyse & report on all aspects of your vending machine operation, including:

weekly/monthly sales trends,  stock reports,  visit reviews,  telephone enquiries,  period reviews,  machine balances,  graphs of cash taken,  analysis of visit problems,  engineers' visits,  checks & reconciliations.

Click to see further details of these important Management Reports on a separate page.

7. Customize & End-of-year

This section allows you to:

• customize Alpha to your current business strategy,
• choose how many months or years of records you wish to store in the Alpha database.

Alpha is a modern Windows-based software system. It is friendly and easy-to-use, and fully supported by our telephone HelpLine.

Whichever screen you are working on, Alpha gives you comprehensive and easy access to all its options, at the push of a button.

Alpha is the modern answer to the problems associated with running a vending operation.  It provides you with up-to-the-minute information about all aspects of your business, so you can see how your business is performing and developing, forecast 'trouble-spots' before they happen, and plan for the continuing success of your business.  It gives you more control over your existing business, while its management reports point the way to future expansion.

And the on-going support via our HelpLine means advice, help & support is always available, as well as updates and future enhancements as new technology becomes available.

For more details, or a demonstration: please ring 0161-865-2377 and ask to speak to Chris Johnson, or write to us at the address shown below.

Gordon Haley Associates Ltd, Merlewood House, 120 Urmston Lane, Stretford, Manchester M32 9BQ. Tel: (+44)   0161-865-2377			go to main index page		go to top of page
or e-mail us