Kiosk Implementation - Assignment Example

Introduction Kiosk is relatively a new technology that has been started to be used with Point-Of-Sale (POS) Systems in environments like retail stores, check out counters etc. The purpose of using kiosks is considered to be two fold - it not only attracts the customers due to its attractive layout and features; but also develops a self service culture that in turn allows the company to reduce head counts by relying on technology to make transactions with speed, reliability and accuracy, and getting rid of extra staff that adds to overheads. The main theme behind introducing the concept of Kiosk technology was to initiate the theme of 'self service'; in an attractive, well organized way that could spur the sales and customer satisfaction ratio. Kiosk technology has brought many benefits to customers and businesses. Kiosk point-of-sale systems provide 24 x 7 availability to the customers where they can make transactions in an easy, user-friendly manner. The ease, with which transactions can be made, provides an important element towards an organization's ability to attract customers; as the customers look for user-friendly and always available systems that can take care of their needs. Kiosk promises to be the technological advancement that can take care of this need. In addition, kiosks provide customers with product information and interactive features that improves the overall image of the company in customers' minds. Kiosks are available in various types and for various purposes. Ranging from a simple cash register to a complex and integrated ATM (Automated Teller Machine), kiosks are believed to improve customer relationships, reduce headcounts for manual/ traditional operations, to take benefit of technology boom, to achieve accuracy and efficiency in operations and to improve customers' perception about the company by providing various marketing and product/ services information on the kiosk terminals. Background/Context/Setting This research will concentrate on evaluating the use of kiosks at various sites and locations, through surveys at several stores in the city, and will focus on obtaining customers and business management's views regarding the unproven belief that kiosk technology provides high value addition to customers at POS systems. Presenting Problem Any strategic investment in technology is made only if there are visible benefits and high expected returns from the investment. Kiosks have been used at POS sites with a hope to increase customer visits and their satisfaction levels that might ultimately lead to an increase in business revenue. However, there are no measurements and or performance evaluation mechanisms to find out the effectiveness of kiosks in adding to customer delight at the point of sale sites; and if at all there are some benefits to it. My research will help establish a relationship between kiosks and the POS systems to determine if kiosks add value to the overall productivity of POS sites and how can this value be measured, if at all. This can be used as part of feasibility analysis for strategic IT investment in kiosk technology by companies at their point of sale systems sites. Scope and Scale The scope of this research can not be restricted to few organizations or customers only. Since kiosks are being used by a variety of companies in a number of instances, it is wise to sample different sets of businesses and customers to develop a representative output for the entire universe of customers and businesses. The scope of this research includes surveys to be conducted with both customers who make use of kiosk technology and businesses that employ kiosk systems at the point of customer interaction. I will gather surveys from approximately 25 respondents belonging to various sites and areas, and then will attempt to compile the results. The number of surveys and interviews is only an estimate with an expected variation of ten percent for the number of respondents for the survey. Target The relationship between customer interaction with kiosk at POS systems and the value addition they derive from it can be used by companies to evaluate the proposal for implementing kiosks at their POS sites. This can be used as part of feasibility analysis by organizations from the view point of business benefits from measurable changes in customers' perception about company, if kiosks are installed. Hence, provides an assessment of whether kiosks should be installed at POS sites and what benefits will this provide to the company. Speculation and Theorising As we see in contemporary world, kiosk technology has increasingly been used by more and more organizations. This shows that there must be some obtainable, definite, measurable and viable benefits from the use of kiosk technology and kiosk systems at customer interaction sites. If this strategic IT investment was of no significant value to businesses and users, we would not have seen such sharp and exponential growth of kiosks around the country in particular, and around the globe in general. It is expected that the research will provide some analysis around how effective kiosks really are, in shaping up the customer relationship management for the company. This would also provide some quantitative and qualitative analysis about the specific areas where kiosks add value for the customers. My hypothesis says that kiosks can be used in virtually all instances and fields with utmost effectiveness, and increasing efficiency of operations while at the same time, proving to be an important and powerful source of customer relationship and customer service management Project Outcome Outcome will be an evaluation report measuring changes in customer interaction, satisfaction levels, and the value businesses are getting by installing kiosk with POS. This would assist in determining whether kiosks add value to business and in what ways they do so. If available, I will try to gather data to measure above parameters before and after kiosk implementation at POS sites. Otherwise, I will provide a relationship between the features that kiosks provide through POS and the degree of customer liking to use such systems. Situation Actors The research project outcome will serve as a pre-feasibility study for companies who are planning to implement kiosk technology at their customer service sites and facilities. The surveys will provide a high level analysis of customer perceptions and experiences regarding use of kiosk systems and technology and its value addition. Research Question Is strategic investment in kiosk technology justified for businesses, in terms of value addition and customer satisfaction that are derived from implementing kiosks at point of sale sites Project Aim To research and develop an evaluation report using business and user surveys in order to if kiosks add value to POS systems. What strategic objectives and business requirement must be supported by kiosks What are the benefits of the proposed system What transaction will the system process What information do users, management team and customer need from the system What procedures could be eliminated by business process reengineering What security issues encounter after integrated kiosks What risks are acceptable What budget and timetable constraints will affect the system enhancement To obtain these information and finding the real expectation value by this direction. Set of Objectives The major objectives for this research project are broadly defined as follows: 1. To identify what are the positive changes when kiosks are installed and to analyze the pattern and reasons for such changes 2. To determine business benefits/ losses due to kiosk implementations and to analyze the workflow, business process in productivity and effectiveness levels by introducing the technology 3. To identify the factors will being faced after kiosks implementation which encompass on location, service, industry and performance. 4. To comment on the effectiveness of kiosk systems in related on both management and customer. Identify the improvement in problem finding and carry out the needs that retrieve form customer base in the form of a report 5. To identify and report techniques of implementing a kiosk system for optimal results Summary This chapter pointed out the main theme around which the research will be carried out. The aims and objectives of the research were defined along with identification of the target outcome. The next chapter will provide a detailed literature review on the topic and current research on kiosk implementation. Read More