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Route drivers began to see how the new use of technology would aid them in the short and long haul. "When you make change, you'll always discover resistance along the way. But we were able to get through that over time," said Jeff. "Overall you have to step back and look at the entire system and what is work- ing." The company found that the employee whom they thought would be most resistant to the technology turned out to be the most receptive. Prekitting Once All Star Services began using DEX, it wasn't long before the com- pany sought other ways in which to use technology in the offce and the warehouse. Soon after its VMS integration, All Star Services began using Cantaloupe Systems' Seed device for scheduling and routing and Lightspeed Automation in 2009 for prekitting. "I saw integrating technology a must, and Cantaloupe helped us get there," said Duncan. The staff was able to effciently use Cantaloupe's Seed device to gain daily online reports of sales data, power losses and machine issues. This new information allowed All Star Services to begin prekitting, as the company knew exactly which items consumers were purchasing. "I saw prekitting with lights as a necessity from the start," explained Duncan. "It takes about one third the time, maybe even less than that to pick from lights versus picking from paper. I wouldn't be able to pick all of our routes without lights." Due to prekitting, volume went up on a per-route level and drivers were servicing fewer machines per day. The company was also able to use smaller trucks, translating into less fueling costs. Automating the processes allowed the inventory from All Star Services' four locations to be combined to a centralized warehouse. Duncan credits the company's technological integrations with the patience and vision of the employees and management team. "We wouldn't be able to make changes without the support of our entire staff," he said. "Technology is a huge time and fnan- cial investment and everyone works hard to make sure it's an investment that's right for us." With investment comes return All Star Services is still investing in technology. In February 2014, the company made the transition to Can- taloupe Seed Offce and Seed Mobile. Retail-oriented loyalty promotions enhance offerings The team at All Star Services found that they had higher success when they could offer promotions to consumers. "The more you promote, the more interest you create for the customer," said Duncan Smith, vice president of operations. All Star Services found that adopting technology would be a large part of how they could offer these promotions. "Telemetry and cashless, coupled with the USCon- nect loyalty rewards program, has allowed us to offer promotions to the customer that are similar to retail," he continued. All Star Services is an original member of USConnect. USCon- nect's mission of providing quality fresh foods, healthy choices in the workplace, eco-friendly equipment and an integrated network managed through industry-leading technology was exactly in line with its business model. With USConnect, the com- pany began using trending events as promotional platforms. In micro markets, for example, directly after the New Year, All Star Services offered discounts on bundled 'healthy' items such as Baked Lays and bottled water. And when Major League Baseball (MLB) Opening Day started in March, they ran a promotion on corndogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Prekitting is an integral part of All Star Services' operation and part of the daily routine for Ashley Stoia, left, Morgan Jacobs and Gena Main. 20 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com May 2014 autm_18-23_0514OpProfile.indd 20 5/5/14 4:36 PM