LIGHTSPEED - Key Persons
Randy Smith was a partner at Georgia Vending when he first saw the concept of prekitting. It didn't take him long to realize that was going to be a big part of making his company successful. Prekitting allowed drivers to service more machines per route, more machines meant more revenue, more revenue with less expensive labor in the warehouse meant more efficiency and, therefore, more profit.
It was shortly after he had converted to prekitting that he realized there were flaws in the concept. Employees were walking back and forth in the warehouse looking for items to pick, everyone was using paper that needed to be manually updated with any changes, and with the warehouse not being well lit there was too much room for error. There had to be a better way.
Smith had seen the concept of pick to light before and thought there may be an application for his operation. He did his homework and decided to find a solution even if he had to create it. He was introduced to a software engineer through a mutual acquaintance and they spent every weekend over the next year developing the software for LightSpeed. In 2008, the system was completed and the very first LightSpeed was installed at Georgia Vending.
When you have game changing technology it doesn't take long for word to spread. As vendors stopped by for a sales call, they were taken on a tour to see the new "light system". Once other operators heard about the system, they'd call Smith and ask for a demo. Within a few months of the very first LightSpeed being installed, Randy knew there was a demand. He sold his stake in Georgia Vending to his partner and embarked on a new career as a technology entrepreneur that 10 years later would have 600 systems operating worldwide.