Self-checkout kiosks are popping up just about everywhere: airports, movie theaters, subway and bus stations, photo labs and even supermarkets. And while the technology has improved productivity and efficiency in some of these venues, it has lagged in at least one.

A recent article highlights the surprising failure of supermarket self-checkout lanes:

Market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute found only 16 percent of supermarket transactions in 2010 were done at self-checkout lanes in stores that provided the option. That’s down from a high of 22 percent three years ago.

Turns out that even major chains are beginning to phase out these systems:

An internal study by [one large retailer] found delays in its self-service lines caused by customer confusion over coupons, payments and other problems; intentional and accidental theft, including misidentifying produce and baked goods as less-expensive varieties; and other problems that helped guide its decision to bag the self-serve lanes.

In total, while some grocery stores are keeping their systems, the overall consensus is that the technology has steadily declined in value.

While failure is always interesting, we want to focus on one possible culprit for this trend. Supermarkets face a classic problem:  the struggle between efficiency and simplicity.

To improve efficiency, grocery stores need to reduce waste while finding ways to make shoppers more productive. Given the outstanding success many other business have gained from these self-serve kiosks, can any of us really blame the industry for at least trying them out?

Businesses might want efficiency, but customers want a shopping experience marked by simplicity. When we buy groceries there are a lot of steps in the process—scanning, weighing, bagging, entering membership and product codes, and processing coupons and payments. For many of us, if waiting in line means someone else will take care of processing the information, we’ll gladly bide our time reading a magazine until it’s our turn. Lastly, while self-checkout lanes might seem convenient and empowering, a trained staff member is probably much better at the task.

Just like self-service kiosks, new office technologies designed to increase efficiency can sometimes backfire. The productivity paradox is often a case of unintended consequences. A new approach or tool might have the potential to be incredibly fast but be far too complex for anyone to use it.

If there are forgotten operations manuals, half-completed internal projects, or underutilized software programs at your company, call Slaughter Development. We’ll help you become more efficient without sacrificing simplicity. That’s what productivity really is: increasing output while increasing satisfaction.