{"id":1127,"date":"2017-05-30T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/eagle\/blog\/?p=1127"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:41:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T21:41:32","slug":"amazon-go-rfid-automation-dilemma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/amazon-go-rfid-automation-dilemma\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon Go & RFID – The Automation Dilemma"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Automation Dilemma – Did Amazon and RFID Just Kill the Retail Employee?<\/span><\/h1>\n\n

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Three\u2019s A Crowd!<\/h2>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s see a show of hands – Who loves the self-checkout lines at the grocery store? Yeah, they don\u2019t work all the time, and still require some human intervention. But the benefit of being able to scan your stuff, bag it up just the way you like, and walk out the door without having to deal with a cashier or those long lines is priceless.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazon looks to be showing us the way towards an even more automated grocery store experience in the future with their new Amazon Go concept. But did the ecommerce giant and their technology just kill the retail employee and a method of doing business that has largely been the same since the 1800s? It\u2019s the automation dilemma.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Just Walk Out – Is It That easy?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Amazon Go\u2019s tagline is pretty compelling – \u201cJust Walk Out.\u201d This new retail concept is Amazon\u2019s first foray into the world of brick-and-mortar business, and it seems to be making some waves. What\u2019s the big deal? Think about a grocery store without all of the problems, like waiting in line, waiting to have your items scanned one-by-one, comments about each item you are purchasing, waiting again to have your stuff bagged up, then not having your credit card work, and finally trying to make your credit card work with a plastic bag (sound familiar)? Man, that sounds really inefficient.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The dreaded grocery store line, we\u2019re all ready to move beyond it. (Image source<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, imagine all of these problems disappearing, leaving you only the essence of the grocery store experience – getting what you need, and getting out. In an Amazon Go store, you simply grab the stuff you want to purchase, put it in your bag, and walk out. On your exit, all the stuff in your bag will automatically be deducted from your Amazon account. Does all of this sound too good to be true? Here it is in action:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n