WORRY not for not having change, there’s no coin slot in a vending machine running on SAP AG’s analytics software. Just use your mobile phone, said Sanjay Makhijani, director of the Global Center of Excellence for Mobile Solutions of SAP Asia Pte Ltd.
Makhijani then placed the face of his smartphone a palm away in front of a display screen on the vending machine in the canteen at the SAP office in Singapore.
The display, roughly 24×29 inches, instantly recognized Makhijani and showed several products like soda, cereals, chips and even mobile phones.
“Some vendors can also place a camera either as an additional security feature, like facial recognition, or to recognize a customer.”
The machine, nonetheless, displayed Makhijani’s last purchase—a can of soda—as well as the products he bought for the past two days.
It then displays products related to his purchase like soda cans of different variants or chips.
Makhijani tapped an image of a soda can on the display screen to demonstrate the technology behind this consumer engagement.
A soft whirring sound plays and, after under six seconds, replaced by a muffled plop behind a tin-covered box near the vending machine’s bottom part.
And out came Makhijani’s purchase. “I can also send a product as a gift,” he said explaining a recipient would see the product sent to him or her on the display once the smartphone is recognized by the vending machine.
Makhijani said vending machine operators in China and Japan have expressed interest in using SAP AG’s platform. We’re going to see such machines operating in these markets in the near future, he added.
Makhijani said the machine also has a sensor and sends a message to the operator if it needs to refill products or repair.
Consumers wouldn’t need coins anymore or change for their bill, Makhijani said. Indeed, the Frankfurt, Germany-headquartered firm’s analytics software has changed that.