Retailers are increasingly turning toward self-service technologies (SSTs) aimed at improving productivity and service quality while cutting costs. The authors identify a process model to understand the antecedents and consequences of SST usage by customers in an in-store retail setting. The model was validated on a combination of survey and observational data. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, reliability, and fun were identified as key drivers of customer attitude toward the SST. Customer attitude toward the SST predicted the actual usage of technology. The effects of SST usage on the actual time spent by customers in the store were studied. The authors investigate the impact of SST usage on customers' perceptions of waiting time and, consequently, on their level of satisfaction with the shopping experience. Finally, the moderating effects of age, education, and gender are analyzed. The current study evaluates the benefits of SST introduction for both customers and retailers.

There is a rapid growth in solution selling in practice and a commensurate increase in research in this area. The focus of this sales strategy is on providing solutions to customer problems that typically entails combining products and services from the provider firm as well as other firms. The fulfilment of these solutions requires operations management support. In spite of the need for closer collaboration between sales and operations management, more research is needed on the interface of these two functions. In order to deepen our understanding of the interface of sales and operations management, we undertook qualitative research and conducted in-depth interviews of senior executives in global firms to determine the need for sales and operations management cooperation. We followed the qualitative research with a review of extant research on the interface of sales and operations management. Finally, we conducted a survey of academic researchers to identify areas and themes of future research in this area. We summarize the implications of our findings for future research.