MADO, Suntory Group Japanese Internal Magazine, editorial team interviewed Taku Kanbayashi of Suntory Beverage Solution and Arata Mori of Suntory Beverage & Food to hear about the details of innovative new service utilizing vending machine.

Suntory's unique BOSSMART and "On the Boss" services through vending machines have attracting much interest since its launch. BOSSMART service works in offices, where snacks and light meals shelf are installed right next to the vending machine, and those products can be purchased through payment at the vending machine. General Manager Taku Kanbayashi, currently in charge of the services, explains that "Customers who are attracted to the snacks and light meals often purchase drinks at the same time, therefore it increases the chance of the sales of our product on the vending machine as well." This service is considered to be one of the great solutions for clients and offices where either installation of the snack vending machine on top of that for beverages within their facility is impossible or no stores and shops are available in the proximity.

The "On the Boss" vending machines enables 2 employees to enjoy drinks for free if they tap their company ID cards together at the same time. Arata Mori, who is also in charge of launching both services, explains that "This is an entirely new vending machine service, intended to encourage workplace communication." Interest in these innovative services is spreading, with over 7,500 BOSSMART being installed within its first eighteen months. Meanwhile, "On the Boss" vending machines have also attracted attention from over 120 companies in a month or so, since its launch announcement to the media in mid-October, making a splash.

But the path this far has not been always smooth by any means. Mori and Kambayashi agree that "launching a new service is exciting, but also scary and lonely." For example, at first there was concern about the BOSSMART for securing the payment as it is system-wise possible to walk away with the products, even if the customer forgets to pay for it. "We felt it was time to get our boots on the ground, and we went all over the country, visiting over 30 sites to test the practical use of the system. We were thus able to demonstrate that payment via vending machine actually had a higher rate of payment collection than similar existing services, taking a step toward practical use," Kambayashi remembers. Regarding the "On the Boss machines", the idea of managing vending machines with company ID cards alone was an entirely new technological approach. "We look into various systems of ID cards and passes and bought mechanical parts by ourselves, making prototypes through DIY . We thought our way through every possible risk and did everything we possibly could do to make the service work," Mori recounts.

These two fought their way along this unmarked path with the courage of their convictions about their new vending machine business approach. "Vending machines, which provide direct points of contact with customers, are an irreplaceable resource for Suntory. We think of vending machines as "little stores," and plan to leverage them so that we can provide new values going beyond soft drinks alone to our customers" Kambayashi vows. Mori likewise believes the vending machine business has a bright future ahead: "In addition to new services like these, if every one of us involved in the vending machine business work closely together and try out ambitious plans, we should be able to become not only No.1 in Japan but No.1 in the world."