Vending Machine settings

To list all the vending machines in the organization, visit Vending Machines page.

From this page, you could

Retrieve vending machine QR Code
Update vending machine information
Change product map / product placement / planogram settings
Manage actuators (hardware controllers)
Refill the machine

Vending_Machine

On this page, there is a list of vending machines. It has the following columns,

UUID is the unique identification number of the vending machine.
Vending Machine is the vending machine’s name.
Location shows the deployment location of the vending machine.
Status shows the vending machine’s PPE system state (Enabled or not). If a vending machine stays in non-Enabled state for an extended duration, please contact the Vending on Track support team immediately.
PIN Code is the code for access to the admin portal on the vending machine.
Timezone shows the timezone applied by the machine.
Operation allows the administrators to update the planogram and other information.

Product Map

Product Map is also known as Planogram or Product Placement. It’s a relationship between each coil of vending machine and the product. For example, Selection 0301 could be the Safety Helmet, while Selection 0302 could be the Safety Harness. This arrangement is called Planogram or Product Map.

Product Map requires to be maintained by the administrators so that the consumption report could be accurate.

The administrator is required to update the product map if there is a change on the coil or product.

Motor Coupling (For the video introduction, click here)

KioskForce vending machines have innovatively introduced the feature of motor coupling, which allows operators to manually couple two separated motors to make them operate in sync.

On the Product Maps page, the admin can couple motors, add_motor_coupling_button Click Add Motor Coupling button, input the Main MDB code and Coupled MDB code as required.

Product Map settings

To list product map settings, please follow this procedure,

Visit Vending Machines page
Find the vending machine on concern, and click Product Map button in the Operation column
There are a few attributes for each of the selection/coil,
- ID is the unique identity of the coil/cell. It’s automatically assigned by PPE Vending’s server.
- Product Name is the product associated with this coil/cell, including the manufacturer, manufacturer code, supplier, and supplier code. For example, Selection 0304 could be Face Mask or Safety Helmet. If the coil is coupled, it will show a Motor Coupling state.
- MDB Code is the coil’s identity in the vending machine or the cell’s identity in the locker. This value is typically set by Vending on Track’s account manager or distributors before the machine leaving the warehouse.
- Consumed is the current consumption from last refill activity. If Advanced Mode is enabled, there is additional information in this column,
- Current - The current stock level
- Cap - The maximum capacity of this coil
- Restock - The standard product quantity of the coil

Average Daily Consumption refers to the number of the average usage of the product over a period of 30 days.
Low Stock Alert is the value at which the admin will receive a low inventory alert. When the number of items in this coil is reduced to this value, the admin will receive a low inventory alert to facilitate timely replenishment.
Trackable Item Name is the individual item name of the trackable product associated with the cell.

Operation

To update a product map, click Edit button on this page in Operation column, and a popup window will be displayed on the screen, edit_product_map

Start typing in Product Name field, a dropdown menu will be shown.
Specify a Trackable Item if the product is trackable.
MDB Code is the vending machine’s identity for that coil/cell. This value is not changeable.
Low Stock Alert field allows the admin to change the value of a low inventory alert.
The admin can set up the maximum capacity of the coil in Capacity field.
Set up the standard product quantity of the coil in Restock Count field.
Effect From field allows the administrators to backdate a change time, so that all the transactions on that coil happened after that time will be updated to the new product.

To change the stock level, click on Change Stock Level button.
change_stock_level

To add a product map, click Add Product Map button on the top right corner of Vending Machines page. As you could notice, when adding product map, you need to specify the MDB code. add_product_map

Retrieve Vending Machine QR Code

To display vending machine QR code on the screen, please follow this procedure,

Visit Vending Machines page
Find the vending machine on concern, and click QR Code button in the Operation column
In the popup window, use the Vending Machine QR Code
Alternatively, you could use download the QR Code with Download QR button

As you may notice, we have two different QR Code for each of the vending machine

Normal QR Code
Legacy QR Code - only use this if the vending machine was deployed before July 2020.

Edit Vending Machines

To edit vending machine settings, please follow this procedure,

Visit Vending Machines page
Find the vending machine on concern, and click Product Map button in the Operation column
There are a few attributes for each of the selection/coil,
- ID is the unique identity of the coil/cell. It’s automatically assigned by PPE Vending’s server.
- Product Name is the product associated with this coil/cell. For example, Selection 0304 could be Face Mask or Safety Helmet.
- MDB Code is the coil’s identity in the vending machine or the cell’s identity in the locker. This value is typically set by Vending on Track’s account manager or distributors before the machine leaving the warehouse.
- Consumed is the current consumption from last refill activity. If Advanced Mode is enabled, there is additional information in this column,
- Current - The current stock level
- Cap - The maximum capacity of this coil
- Restock - The standard product quantity of the coil - Low Stock Alert is the value at which the admin will receive a low inventory alert. When the number of items in this coil is reduced to this value, the admin will receive a low inventory alert to facilitate timely replenishment. - Trackable Item Name is the individual item name of the trackable product associated with the cell.

Enter a unique name to identify the machine in the Vending Machine Name field.
Provide the exact address of the machine in Vending Machine Location.
For KioskForce vending machines, the admin can modify the Vending Machine Express Selection Settings. When enabled, employees will be able to make a choice between returning and taking items after logging in to the system; Once disabled, users can be taken directly to the job ID verification interface without having to choose “Return” or “Take new item” first. If a job ID is not enforced, they will be directed to the item selection interface.
Set a PIN code for access to the admin portal on the vending machine.
Type a timezone for the machine, like Australia/Sydney or America/Los_Angeles.
Configure Notification Emails - Enter email addresses (separated by commas) to receive alerts specific to this vending machine, such as low stock alerts and fail-to-vend notifications. These emails will receive notifications in addition to the organization’s admin emails. This is useful when different teams or locations need to be notified about specific machines.
Optionally, upload a photo of the machine.
Assign tags for the machine if you want to enforce tag-based access.

Refill Vending Machine

To update a product map, click Edit button on this page in Operation column, and a popup window will be displayed on the screen,

Start typing in Product Name field, a dropdown menu will be shown.
Specify a Trackable Item if the product is trackable.
MDB Code is the vending machine’s identity for that coil/cell. This value is not changeable.
Low Stock Alert field allows the admin to change the value of a low inventory alert.
The admin can set up the maximum capacity of the coil in Capacity field.
Set up the standard product quantity of the coil in Restock Count field.
Effect From field allows the administrators to backdate a change time, so that all the transactions on that coil happened after that time will be updated to the new product.

After refilling the machine, click Refill in the Operation column to make items available for dispensing again.

Actuator Management

Actuators, also known as peripheral machines, are standalone vending machines or lockers (without touchscreens) that operate under the control of a master machine (kiosk). The master machine can coordinate up to 253 peripheral machines to create a large, distributed vending system. To manage actuators for a master vending machine, click the Actuators button in the Operation column of the vending machines list.

For detailed information about the master/peripheral architecture, MDB address ranges, and actuator configuration, please refer to the Vending Machine Actuators documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the difference between Normal QR Code and Legacy QR Code?

According to the documentation, there are two different QR Code types for each vending machine:

Normal QR Code - This is the standard QR code used for all vending machines
Legacy QR Code - This should only be used if the vending machine was deployed before July 2020

The system maintains both types to ensure backward compatibility with older machines.

Q2: What is motor coupling and when should I use it?

Motor coupling is a feature for KioskForce vending machines that allows operators to manually couple two separated motors to make them operate in sync. As stated in the documentation:

It allows dispensing larger items that wouldn’t fit in a single coil
You can couple motors by clicking the “Add Motor Coupling” button on the Product Maps page
You need to input both the Main MDB code and Coupled MDB code
When a coil is coupled, it will show a “Motor Coupling” state in the Product Name column

Q3: What does the “Effect From” field do when updating a product map?

The “Effect From” field allows administrators to backdate a change time. According to the documentation, “all the transactions on that coil happened after that time will be updated to the new product.” This is useful when you need to correct historical transaction data after changing a product mapping.

Q4: What information is tracked in the Advanced Mode for product consumption?

When Advanced Mode is enabled, the “Consumed” column shows additional information beyond just the consumption count:

Current - The current stock level
Cap - The maximum capacity of this coil
Restock - The standard product quantity of the coil

This provides more detailed inventory management capabilities for each coil.

Q5: How do I handle timezone settings for vending machines?

The documentation specifies that you can set a timezone for each machine by typing a timezone like “Australia/Sydney” or “America/Los_Angeles” in the timezone field. The “Timezone” column in the vending machines list shows the timezone applied by each machine. This ensures accurate timestamp recording for transactions based on the machine’s physical location.

Q6: What are Notification Emails and how do they work?

Notification Emails allow you to configure custom email addresses that will receive alerts specific to a particular vending machine. These alerts include:

Low stock notifications when product levels reach the configured threshold
Fail-to-vend alerts when dispensing issues occur
Other machine-specific operational alerts

Key points:

Enter multiple email addresses separated by commas (e.g., “manager@company.com, technician@company.com”)
These emails are in addition to the organization’s admin emails - admin emails will always receive notifications
This feature is useful for delegating machine monitoring to specific teams, locations, or individuals
Each vending machine can have its own unique set of notification emails
Email addresses must be valid format and will be validated when saved