Humanity is constantly evolving.We now live in an amazing time, when in many spheres of people people replace automatons. And even where, as it seems, they will not be able to replace the person for a long time, they can be met. In this article, we will look at what self-service cash registers are. How to use them will also be considered.
So, what is it - self-checkout?This technology has long been known and is very widely used in foreign retail chains. Self-service cash desks can be found in North America (to a lesser extent in Southern) and Western Europe. They also penetrate the space of the former USSR. It can be assumed that in a decade we will meet them even in Africa and Asian countries.
Automation of trade allows you to releasehuman resource and direct people to solve other tasks that are not yet performed by mechanical assistants. It is assumed that self-service checkout terminals will double their number in the next four years. True, this is only an assumption, since in reality this will be affected by the expansion of operating networks, the development of the technological component and overall progress.
Self-service cash desks are most often used inmajor retail chains. And it is not surprising - after all, these are large-scale projects that include the supply of sophisticated equipment, as well as the integration of software into a general store account. Just work with the latter is the most difficult and expensive component of such a change. Since you have to spend a lot of money, a similar development path is not yet profitable for individual stores or small chains. But if there are quite a lot of objects where this miracle of technology is installed, then they pay off quickly enough. After all, the software component is honed only for the first commercial facility, while in the rest, the equipment is simply purchased and connected to the already existing system.
When self-checkout cash registers are used and trade automation is implemented, it creates the following positive points:
In order to counter theft, enhanced video surveillance and weight control technology is used.
The best thing here is in the RussianFederation and Ukraine. In the Russian Federation, the greatest experience is available in Auchan. Russian experience suggests that people save about 40 percent of their time in self-service. Total satisfied 97% of all who interacted with these wonders of automation. But a breakthrough was outlined not only in large stores, but also in small representatives of huge chains. So, self-service cash desks are set up in “Magnet”. Initially it is planned that there will be 2000 of them. This process began in 2016. But, given the number of stores, potential advantages and opportunities, it can be assumed that self-service cash desks at Magnit will replace people in about five years. Just imagine how much time will be saved! Not lagging behind and "Globus". Self-service cash registers here also receive customer praise. In Ukraine, the first such technological innovations were installed in Kiev in December 2013.
For the first time, self-service checkouts appeared as early as1992 in Europe and North America. Therefore, it is impossible to call them something new, especially there. In the third millennium, this technology has received significant development. It can be assumed that in a decade or two cashiers will be workers on the verge of extinction. In order for this technology to conquer its market, manufacturers provide broad support for their solutions. In addition to the maintenance of the hardware, they train staff in the features of work. Now there are four main players in this market.
Self-service cash registers have counting machines,that allow you to automate the cash flow that is used in stores. In the future, this system will allow you to transfer money immediately to a bank account. Thus, cash is displayed in the trading process. What else is interesting is the fact that money can be given at least a bundle, or you can fall asleep a handful of coins. For the solution of various non-standard situations, there is an assistant station with which you can carry out remote monitoring of what is happening at the point. Making a comparison, we can say that this is, in fact, a desktop for cash registers.
An important advantage of the equipment is thatthat widespread acquired model assembly. If you change the components of the equipment, then at the output you can get a very wide range of functionality. Weigh, however, such machines a lot - about half a ton. Speaking of technology, it can be in some way compared with the assembly line.
This is a rather important aspect. It happens as follows:
Но что делать, если продаются фрукты, которые have different weight? In such cases, significant algorithmic work is carried out. If we talk about its essence in a simplified way, then each barcode is “molded” into the weight and the allowable range of variations of values. For part of the goods it is great, for others it is small.
There is one interesting aspect of implementation.The fact is that there is no program in its classical understanding. If you simplify the procedure, you can conditionally distinguish the presence of a program that implements the graphical interface. The buyer, when he presses the buttons, calls certain methods. They, in turn, tighten the data structure, where there is all the necessary information like the name of the product, its price, quantity and other things. This has its advantages. So you can integrate into any data structure. But there are drawbacks in the form of implementation constraints that the interface has. In other words, it is impossible to display information that was not previously provided.
Such techniques as self-catering,is, albeit, a small, but still a step in which humanity becomes even closer to the moment when all the usual, monotonous and not demanding creativity work will be shifted onto the shoulders of mechanical assistants.
In the meantime, if you look with an experienced eyeengineer, then you can notice an even greater number of problems that have not been resolved. So, for example, you still have to maintain security. And it is not surprising - otherwise people could simply leave, taking with them the goods, and not even the most modern anti-theft system could resist them. Although, seeing how fast the development of technology occurs, it can be assumed that in the future there will be ideas that solve this problem as well. And then one more sphere (trade) will completely pass into the power of technology. Is it good or bad? Rather, the first, because people will have an incentive to act more effectively and to learn and improve more.
