A machine that takes £300 can look better than one that takes £180. That comparison means little if the first figure covers eight weeks and the second covers three. It becomes less useful again if the machines have different commission rates, footfall patterns or service costs.
Vending performance should be reviewed over consistent periods and with enough context to explain the figures. The aim is not to produce a league table for its own sake. It is to decide which machines need more stock, a different visit cycle, a better position, some maintenance or a frank conversation with the site.
Start with comparable periods
Cash collected at a visit is not the same as a weekly or monthly sales figure. The number of days since the previous collection matters. Divide the collection by the number of trading days in the period, or compare complete calendar months where you have enough records.
Be careful with partial periods. A machine installed halfway through a month should not be compared directly with one that traded for the full month. The same applies after a breakdown, temporary closure or site refurbishment. Mark the affected period rather than treating it as ordinary trading.
Visit frequency can also distort the picture. Two smaller collections may represent more business than one larger collection made over a longer interval. Keep the visit count beside the takings so that you can see how the total was built.
Separate takings from the operator’s share
Gross takings show customer demand, but they do not show what the machine contributes to the operator after site commission or a charity contribution. Compare both figures:
- gross takings for the period;
- commission or contribution paid;
- the amount retained by the operator.
Use the agreed rate that applied during that period. If a rate changed, keep the effective date with the record. Blending old and new terms into one unexplained figure makes later comparisons hard to trust.
Retained cash still is not profit. Product cost, fuel, staff time, repairs, payment fees and other overheads may sit outside the cash-up record. Do not label a collection report as profit unless those costs have genuinely been included.
Compare machines and sites separately
A busy site may contain one strong machine and one weak machine. A site-level total can hide that difference, while a machine-only view can miss the commercial importance of the whole venue.
Review both levels. At machine level, compare takings, commission and collection frequency. At site level, look at the combined result and the amount of time needed to service the location. This helps when deciding whether to move one machine without giving up a worthwhile site.
Keep machine identity consistent when equipment is moved or replaced. If a replacement inherits the old machine’s name without a clear change record, the performance history may appear continuous when it is not.
Add the field notes that explain unusual numbers
Figures can tell you that performance changed. They rarely tell you why. Short, factual visit notes provide the missing context.
Record closures, access problems, faults, product shortages, price changes, machine moves and requests from the site contact. Note whether a fault stopped all sales or affected one selection. Our guide to what to record at every vending site visit covers a practical visit record without turning it into paperwork for its own sake.
Avoid writing a convenient explanation after the event. If the reason was not known at the time, say so. That is more useful than presenting a guess as fact.
Allow for seasonality and the site’s trading pattern
Schools, play centres, pubs, workplaces and visitor attractions do not trade in the same way. A month-on-month fall may be expected at one site and unusual at another. Compare like with like where possible, including the same month in the previous year, but check whether opening days, machine position or operating conditions changed.
One poor period should trigger a check, not an instant removal decision. Look for a repeated pattern across several comparable periods. Sudden changes deserve attention sooner because they may point to a fault, access problem or missing record.
Turn the review into a specific action
Finish each review with a decision or a date to look again. Possible actions include changing the visit interval, investigating a fault, reviewing the product mix, discussing the machine position with the site or checking whether the commission arrangement still matches the written agreement.
Set a review point after any change. Without one, an action such as moving a machine becomes an anecdote rather than a test you can assess.
Using VendMetrix for performance reviews
VendMetrix records cash-ups against sites and machines. Its current reporting includes monthly takings, machine performance, visit counts, charity totals and year-on-year comparisons. Those records give operators a consistent base for the checks described above. The VendMetrix features page lists the reporting and cash-up tools currently available.
The software does not remove the need for judgement. A report cannot know that a venue closed for a week unless the operator records the context. Consistent cash-ups, clear site records and brief factual notes make the performance figures much easier to use.