A perspective by Stefano Bertoldo, Product Manager at Coges.

This year marks 30 years since Stefano joined Coges. Over three decades, he has seen the vending industry evolve from coin-based systems and manual reporting to connected machines, digital payments, and real-time data platforms.

In this opinion piece, Stefano reflects on what has changed, what many people forget about the early days of cashless, and what remains constant after 30 years in the business.

“Three decades in vending give you perspective. Technology moves fast — but the fundamentals are often more stable than we think.”

From instinct to data-driven control

This year marks my 30th year at Coges.

When I started in 1995, operators made decisions the way pilots once flew aircraft: instruments helped, but instinct kept you alive.

Back then, the visit to the machine was the only real source of information. Operators saw the issues themselves. They noticed patterns. They spoke to location managers. Experience guided decisions.

Today, the picture is very different.

We have dashboards, telemetry platforms, cashless transaction data, error logs, interactive screens, and real-time performance visibility. Information is immediate. Decisions are faster and more precise.

But the challenge has not disappeared — it has shifted.

Now it is about combining human experience with the scale and objectivity of digital information. Data alone is not enough. Experience alone is no longer enough either. Control comes from using both.

The early reality of cashless adoption

One detail that is often forgotten is how cashless truly began.

It was not driven by a digital strategy. It started with a coin shortage.

In Italy in the 1970s, a lack of coins created a serious operational problem. Machines were stocked but unusable. Customers could not reliably buy a coffee. Operators were forced to improvise.

Tokens and early cashless systems became practical solutions to a problem that affected daily revenue. People adopted them because they worked.

Once customer behavior changes, the industry follows.

Coges followed that shift as well. Closed-loop systems such as MyKey became firmly established in the Italian market because they solved a concrete operational issue. Over time, they also became tools for managing subsidies, controlling consumption, and simplifying internal accounting — particularly in workplace environments.

The origin was practical necessity, not innovation for its own sake.

What technology providers rarely discuss

Every new payment method or feature brings advantages. It also brings complexity.

Each addition must be integrated into existing machines. It must remain compatible with different generations of hardware. It must be supported over time. And it must function reliably in real operating conditions.

These costs are not always visible at launch.

They appear in everyday operations — in service calls, system updates, technical support, and operator training. The impact is not only financial. It affects time, efficiency, and ultimately the experience of both operators and end users.

Technology must work consistently, not just impress at presentation.

What has not changed

Three decades give you distance.

And from that perspective, one element remains constant: reliability.

Technology evolves. Payment standards change. Data becomes more accessible. Connectivity becomes expected.

But operators still depend on systems that function every day without interruption.

Reliability — in hardware, in software, and in people — remains the foundation of this industry.

I am grateful for the challenges, the innovation cycles, and the colleagues and partners I have worked with over the years. Vending has never been only about machines or products. It is a world that continues to adapt, shaped by both operational realities and technological progress.

And the responsibility to build solutions that last has not changed.