A recent innovation infesting the world is self-serve checkouts. With the convenience and accessibility of this newfound development, shopping has never been easier. Stakeholders configure a major part in the success of kiosks. Some of these stakeholders include customers, suppliers and employees as they contribute to the business’ objectives.
Integration of Technologies
Recent advancements have made this innovation possible. By implementing Internet-of-Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics and blockchain into kiosks, companies can enhance their future profiting capabilities.
IoT ensures that the physical kiosk can exchange the data it collects to the businesses’ systems and, therefore, extrapolate the data for future purposes. Traditionally, point of sale (POS) systems were used before kiosks. However, since then, AI has allowed the replacement of these POS systems to the kiosks that executes tasks humans once performed. As previously discussed, analytic technologies are used to collect data and evaluate it for future business decisions which the kiosks collect. By incorporating these, companies are also able to have more effective communication and, therefore, higher employee gratification.
The Pros and Cons of Self-Serve Checkout Systems
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Reduces business’ labour costs | Employee layoffs |
| Sales increases | Maintenance costs |
| Employee gratification | Scarce personalisation |
| More effective communication | Increase in criminalisation |
| Collects data for analysis | |
| Marketing strategy |
Appealing or Deterring?
There is no doubt that self-serve checkout systems have been crucial to many companies’ technological innovations. However, despite the development being around since 1986, the self-checkout still maintains its controversy. With Generation X still a predominant part of society and with Generation Z and Millennials gaining more prevalence in workplaces, generational conflict due to these technological changes are increasing.
HOW IS IT SHAPING OUR FUTURE?
This new advancement affects the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects of today’s society.
Politically, this has caused a huge debate. According to the general public, companies are limiting the employment rate. However, these companies have argued that self-serve kiosks have not done this but created jobs more focused on customer engagement instead (1). How true this is, is based on perspective.
Economically, kiosks have made a huge impact on society and our future. Due to less human staff on shift, and more people being served, the business is turning over more profit. However, this has thrown the economic equilibrium as supply and demand has slightly changed.
Socially, some argue that there is a decrease in customer experience due to the kiosks. Although, some say that, instead of there being a focus on service, there is a focus on the holistic experience of the interactions between customers and employees. Either way, there has been a shift.
Technologically, there has been a digital transformation. Kiosks have provided a new way of delivering customer experiences and modified business practices.
Legally, this has introduced new privacy issues. To ensure that the data the businesses collect is not misused, governments have created policies to safeguard this data. This is also regulated through the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
Environmentally, the impact of manufacturing kiosks has increased the energy usage. Organisations need to be conscious of this look for more sustainable and energy efficient options.
NEGATIVE IMPLICATION MINIMISATIONS
Despite being developed in 1986, and transitioning through many changes, kiosks still need improvements:
- Employee layoffs: businesses need to ensure new jobs positions are made available to accommodate for the loss of jobs.
- Maintenance costs: improve quality of the kiosks made. Although maintenance will still be mandatory, the frequency of it will decrease.
- Scarce personalisation: ensuring that the kiosks are able to perform the same tasks humans are capable of.
- Increase in criminal activities: hiring trained security to combat this (e.g. Kmart has done this in shops in high criminal areas).
