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Self Service Checkouts Innovation in ICT

By , Antonia Nelson

Self-checkout machines provide a mechanism for customers to pay for purchases from a retailer without direct input to the process by the retailer's staff. They have been implemented most often in grocery stores and other large-scale stores.

In self-checkout systems, the consumer is permitted to scan the barcodes on their own items, and manually identify items such as fruits (usually with a touch screen display), which are then weighed where applicable, and place the items into a bagging area. The weight observed in the bagging area is verified against previously stored information to ensure that the correct item is bagged, allowing the customer to proceed only if the observed and expected weights match.

Normally, an attendant watches over several self-checkout machines, to provide assistance, prevent theft through exploitation of the machines' weaknesses, and enforce payment. Attendant assistance is also required for purchase of age-restricted items. Payment on these machines can be accepted by various methods: card via debit/credit cards, cash via coin slot and bank note scanner, and in-store gift cards where applicable.

Purpose aims achieved


(*) To shorten time spent in super markets. this has been done to certain degree as lines for the counter with staff manning it are shorter And it cuts down the small-talking with a counter boy or girl. However self-checkout often misread or are unable to read item barcodes which increase time spent at counter.

(*) To cut labour costs by reducing checkout counter workers. This has been achieved as the counters that were manned are
now machines. But this has caused a lot of ethical debates as replacing a counter person with a machine leads to fewer jobs.

(*)The benefit to the customer is in the reduced checkout time because stores are often able to run two to six selfcheckout units efficiently where it normally would have had one cashier. (*)Self-checkout may create an illusion of privacy and anonymity, when in fact the self-checkout attendant can track the progress of customers on all machines via a separate terminal known as a RAP (remote attendant post). (*)The benefit to the retailer in providing self-checkout machines is in reduced staffing requirements since one attendant is all that is required to run four to six checkout lanes at one time. Less money spent on wages.

Benefits

Limitations
(*) Self-checkout is vulnerable to some shoplifting techniques. However, in many cases the machine will pick up the attempt to steal or else cause the shopper to alter behaviour (e.g., put an item not on the scales but somewhere else where it should not be put and will be noticed by the system supervisor). (*) That this system removes all social interaction with the counter person.

(*) This system can cause frustration in customers because it often refuses to read barcodes of certain items which will need to be scanned multiple times before accepted.

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