Problem and Motivation
Generally, waiting in line is boring, unproductive and most people agree.
Have you ever gone to a store (department, supermarket, grocery, etc.) and gotten frustrated with how long the lines are, or with how little of available cash registers are open, knowing you will be there for a while just waiting to checkout?
Or has the line been long enough such that you turn away and decide to go elsewhere? You start to think about bottlenecks and their formation due to an influx of customers and/or slow queues, which can happen for many reasons: maybe someone is short on money, maybe they forgot an item, maybe they just have a lot of items to purchase, or maybe there are simply a lot of people. Whatever the reason may be, you would highly appreciate a more efficient and effective way of getting in and out of the store as quickly as possible without relying on the efficiency of others. You want to save time.
Context
There has been research on “three different systems for waiting in line: the usual first-come, first-serve system; one in which people are served in a random order… and a backwards-sounding idea called a “last-come, first-serve system” …. Their research shows that the typical first-come, first-serve system is the least efficient, while the maddening last-come, first-serve system is the best.” This is interesting, but I believe we can still do better.
On a similar note, some companies have tried to solve the problem of customer frustration by incorporating distractions (magazines near checkout, televisions, etc.) near checkout, with little success. Most people do not want to wait in line.
Proposal
Notice that no solutions in the previous section tackle the root problem of eliminating lines, but are rather an attempt to make lines more tolerable or enjoyable, which is not our end goal. We want to eliminate as much of the lines as possible. Our solution would allow you to connect to the store’s price database via app, scan your items and pay with an associated account or credit card. This is different than self-checkout in many ways, some of which are: you will have real-time price calculation as you shop around, can easily add/remove items and most importantly, you will not need to wait in a line to purchase your items.
Sources:
- https://www.pressherald.com/2013/11/29/black_friday_shoppers_brave_cold__lines_for_hot_deals_/
- http://comicsandmemes.com/walmart-memes/walmart-meme-010-checkout-only-4-open/
- https://www.memecenter.com/fun/3406783/no-one-likes-waiting-in-line
- http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/roll-safe