As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, PepsiCo China operates a nationwide network of beverage dispensers supporting major fast-food and restaurant chains such as Wallace and Tastien.
As the network expanded to tens of thousands of machines across diverse environments, PepsiCo China faced a growing challenge: traditional post-mix machine was offline, fragmented, and difficult to manage at scale. To ensure brand compliance, food safety, and operational efficiency, PepsiCo China needed a software-driven transformation, not just incremental hardware upgrades.
"The platform helps us get all device data into one system, identify issues as soon as they happen, and significantly improve maintenance efficiency."
Project Manager, PepsiCo China
The challenge: Limited visibility across a large unattended retail network
Before digitalization, PepsiCo China encountered challenges common to large vending and unattended retail operations:
- No centralized system to track syrup usage or understand real consumption
- Lack of real-time monitoring for temperature, pressure, connectivity, and device status
- Reactive maintenance driven by on-site issues rather than proactive alerts
- Rising operational risk and cost as device count
To support long-term growth, PepsiCo China required a scalable smart retail platform capable of unifying heterogeneous devices and delivering reliable operational intelligence.
The solution: VendSolution AIoT + SaaS platform for smart beverage operations
PepsiCo China partnered with VendSolution, leveraging its AIoT + SaaS smart retail platform to transform traditional beverage machines into a connected, software-managed network.
VendSolution focused on building a software-first foundation, enabling:
- Device connectivity and data standardization
- Real-time operational intelligence dashboards
- Software tools that reduce on-site dependency
- A platform architecture designed for long-term scalability
Implementation: A phased, software-led rollout
Phase 1: Connecting existing devices
VendSolution onboarded legacy beverage machines by integrating IoT modules and connecting them to the central platform. This provided PepsiCo China with its first unified view of syrup output, temperature, pressure, and basic device status.
Phase 2: Ensuring data reliability with edge intelligence
To address unstable network environments, VendSolution introduced industrial controllers tightly integrated with the SaaS platform. These controllers enabled local data buffering during outages and automatic synchronization once connectivity was restored, significantly improving data continuity.
Phase 3: Optimizing deployment based on operational data
Screen-enabled devices were tested for advertising and consumer interaction. Platform data revealed higher failure rates and limited usage, leading PepsiCo China to optimize toward screen-less machines paired with VendSolution’s software platform—balancing reliability, cost, and operational efficiency.
Today, the VendSolution platform manages approximately:
- 37,000 connected beverage machines nationwide
- 3,000–5,000 new devices onboard annually
Key capabilities delivered
Centralized device management
VendSolution provides real-time visibility into syrup usage, device health, connectivity, and location, turning fragmented equipment into a single, manageable system.
Intelligent inspection and troubleshooting
Built-in inspection tools allow field staff to scan a device ID and instantly identify software-related issues, with guided resolution steps that reduce troubleshooting time and reliance on technical expertise.
Remote network configuration
For unattended, screen-less machines, VendSolution enables remote Wi-Fi configuration via online management or Bluetooth-assisted setup, minimizing on-site intervention.
Real-time warning and reports
As PepsiCo China optimized costs and streamlined operations, VendSolution designed exception-focused tools that aggregate abnormal devices by severity, enabling batch handling and improving service efficiency at scale.
Results: From device management to operational intelligence
With VendSolution’s smart retail software, PepsiCo China achieved:
- Full visibility across a nationwide beverage equipment network
- Lower operational and maintenance costs through proactive monitoring
- Improved data reliability despite complex network conditions
- Stronger brand compliance and food safety control
PepsiCo China successfully transitioned from managing individual machines to operating a data-driven unattended retail infrastructure.
About VendSolution
VendSolution specializes in unattended retail solutions. Since 2012, we have supported global brand owners and vending operators with an AIoT-based platform that unifies retail machines and delivers real-time operational insight. Managing over 400,000 terminals worldwide, we help customers build efficient, predictable retail infrastructure.
