System and method for optimizing utilization of inventory space for dispensable articles

1. A method of utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor in communication with the user interface, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of slots, the method comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a list identifying a subset of the plurality of articles, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine, wherein the plurality of articles comprise consumer goods articles and wherein the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the subset of the plurality of articles to a non-consumer inventory management section of the article dispensing machine from a consumer inventory management section of the non-removable storage unit, wherein the non-consumer inventory management section is reserved for non-consumer inventory management and is configured to hold the subset of the plurality of articles;

receiving a command signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by a field service representative, the command signal for initiating the non-consumer inventory management of the article dispensing machine to manually remove the subset of the plurality of articles from the non-consumer inventory management section of the article dispensing machine to outside of the article dispensing machine and to manually load at least one article from outside of the article dispensing machine into the non-consumer inventory management section;

receiving a load confirmation signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by the field service representative, the load confirmation signal indicating that the at least one article has been loaded into the non-consumer inventory management section; and

subsequent to receiving the load confirmation signal, using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the at least one article from the non-consumer inventory management section to the consumer inventory management section of the non-removable storage unit, wherein the non-consumer inventory management section is configured to hold the at least one article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a removal confirmation signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by the field service representative, the removal confirmation signal indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the non-consumer inventory management section.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the thinned article to the non-consumer inventory management section; and

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to an article removal bin.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the subset of the plurality of articles comprises using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to an article removal bin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the subset of the plurality of articles comprises using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the non-consumer inventory management section.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article from the merchandising zone to an article removal bin.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-consumer inventory management section comprises a subset of the plurality of slots on one or more levels of the non-removable storage unit, and further comprising transmitting, from the processor to the user interface, one or more locations of the subset of the plurality of slots where the subset of the plurality of articles should be removed from, in response to receiving the command signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-consumer inventory management section comprises a subset of the plurality of slots on one or more levels of the non-removable storage unit, and further comprising using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically indicate, using a picker device, one or more locations of the subset of the plurality of slots where the subset of the plurality of articles should be removed from, in response to receiving the command signal.

10. A method of utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor in communication with the user interface, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of slots on one or more levels, wherein the plurality of articles comprises consumer goods articles, the method comprising:

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move a subset of the plurality of articles from a consumer inventory management section of the non-removable storage unit to a predetermined area of the article dispensing machine, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine, wherein the predetermined area is reserved for non-consumer inventory management and the predetermined area is configured to hold the subset of the plurality of articles;

receiving a removal confirmation signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by a field service representative, the removal confirmation signal indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the predetermined area;

receiving a load confirmation signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by the field service representative, the load confirmation signal indicating that at least one article has been loaded into the predetermined area; and

subsequent to receiving the load confirmation signal, using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the at least one article from the predetermined area to an optimized level of the non-removable storage unit, the optimized level selected from the one or more levels such that the optimized level is nearest to a picker device of the article dispensing machine.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one article has a higher transaction volume as compared to other articles of the plurality of articles.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the optimized level comprises an optimized slot of the plurality of slots, the optimized slot nearest to the picker device; and

causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the at least one article comprises using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the at least one new article from the predetermined area to the optimized slot.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined area further comprises an article removal bin, and wherein causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move the thinned article to the predetermined area; and

using the processor, causing the article dispensing machine to automatically move one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving a command signal at the processor through the user interface adapted to be initiated by the field service representative, the command signal for initiating the non-consumer inventory management of the article dispensing machine to manually remove the subset of the plurality of articles from the predetermined area to outside of the article dispensing machine and to manually load the at least one article from outside of the article dispensing machine into the predetermined area.