How Can We Utilize Self-service Technology Better?

Abstract

Self-service technology (SST) has been broadly recognized as a promising cost-saving alternative to a workforce. Interest in SST has been increasing owing to the imminent shortage of workforce in developed countries. In such a context, the successful implementation of SST is regarded more seriously. This study focuses on a self-service kiosk at an airport to discuss how the gaming framework contributes to exploring the successful implementation of SSTs in actual service operation. We review and discuss the results of the cooperative game that equips the autonomously behaving passengers as in the real world. Through gaming, players discuss how the new technology needs to reflect old operational practices, how people embrace and adapt to SST, and how effectively the multiple players can cooperate and coordinate to minimize the waiting time of the multiple departure lobbies as a whole. Players need to manage their staff to operate an interpersonal check-in service and to guide and support passengers using technology-based self-service equipment. They communicate with each other to secure the level of service in the ambivalent ongoing conditions. Using computer simulations, we show that the extracted ideas of queue management effectively function to accomplish tolerable waiting time by utilizing the given productive resources.