Innovation and Invention: Self-Serve Kiosks
I have to admit that I do love self-serve kiosks at Walmart that allow me to skip long lines and check myself out. Additionally, I love the fact that I can bag my items just the way I want to bag them. What started as a few self-serve kiosks has now multiplied greatly to multiple self-serve kiosks. The kiosks at my local Walmart started out small, very small. There was a very small work area to check out and a small bagging area. Recently, some of the kiosks at my local Walmart have been integrated into the regular checkout lines with the rolling conveyor check out. I can put an entire cart of groceries on the checkout counter and as I scan an item and bag it, the roller brings up the next item. What an improvement!
There is a trend among companies seeking to save money by using technology rather than human power (The Future Kiosk). Using self-serve kiosks is one way to accomplish this goal. Christmann (2018) notes that self-serve kiosks are a “…part of a national trend toward automation at stores and restaurants, driven by more tech-savvy consumers, less expensive and easier-to-implement technology, and the rising costs of unskilled human labor. Researchers say increased automation could put workers out of jobs, especially as they advocate for higher wages” (para 3).
Christmann noted these facts in 2018, moving on to 2019, I found that retail kiosk projections for this year will be even far greater (Maras, 2019). With the projection of more and more kiosks this year, one should keep in mind that 2018 was “…a banner year for interactive kiosks…” (Maras, 2019, para 1). That’s says something about where we are heading! Wiseguysreports.com projects that self-serve kiosks will continue to grow for many years to come. I have witnessed one employee working as many as ten of these self-serve kiosks at one time, moving from kiosk to kiosk as the need arises. Clearly, self-serve kiosks allow for a larger amount of people to check out in a shorter amount of time, while requiring fewer employees to do so.
What is driving this move to more technology? Maras (2019) notes that technology is cheaper than hiring more employees and that employees are overburdened and need the self-serve kiosks to ease that burden. Self-serve kiosks allow employers to lower their costs to operate and at the same time attract customers who prefer the ease of use of such (Maras, 2019). I know I certainly do enjoy the ease of use of self-checkout kiosks and I am not surprised that others do as well.
Technology continues to move forward each and every day. It may not be too long before even the self-checkout kiosks, still new and upcoming, are obsolete. In researching, I discovered that there are apps already available that can be used right from our phones to scan and pay for items without ever going through any sort of check-out line. This technology encourages us to “skip the line” altogether. Something to think about and to keep an eye on for sure! This goes to show that no matter how great a product is, there is always something greater on the horizon. Innovation and invention is always on the move.
References:
Christmann, S. (2018, May 03). The rise of the machine: Stores and restaurants turn to self-service kiosks. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2018/05/03/the-rise-of-the-machine-stores-and-restaurants-turn-to-self-service-kiosks/
Maras, E. (2019, January 04). Retail kiosk outlook: 2019 expected to surpass 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/articles/retail-kiosk-outlook-2019-expected-to-surpass-2018/
Self Checkout. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://retailcloud.com/products/self-checkout
The Future Kiosk – What Does It Look Like? (2018, October 04). Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://kioskindustry.org/the-future-of-kiosks/
Wiseguysreports.com. (n.d.). Self-service Kiosk Market 2019 Global Industry – Key Players, Size, Trends, Opportunities, Growth- Analysis to 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from http://www.ktvn.com/story/39806428/self-service-kiosk-market-2019-global-industry-key-players-size-trends-opportunities-growth-analysis-to-2025
Kay,
Great topic. I admit that I like using kiosks as well for much of what I do. They are testing the use of phones for tracking and paying for items at stores near me. There are a few bugs they are working through as people learn the technology and the technology learns more about how people shop. The costs associated with technology have fallen dramatically, which allows companies to invest in them as replacements for employees. In the past the technology was too expensive and did not make sense. However, now a kiosk can cost under $100 for a tablet that you load software onto. I am observing this change happen in many areas of business. What I will be interested in observing is the change in how things are designed to accommodate self-service. An oil change seems like it could be one of those things that could be automated, but cars have their oil filters and oil ports located in different positions and can be designed differently. Fueling a car is also something that seems like it could be automated, but the design and location of the fuel cap, location, etc. can vary. I am curious to see if standards will become more prevalent in design to allow for automation? Will I be able to pull into a gas station and the ‘system’ is able to handle all of the actions that go into finding, accessing and fueling my vehicle? Great overview, thank you for the blog.