Note: You are experiencing only the raw content of this site, without the intended layout and design. Either your browser has ignored the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) files for this site, or you are using an outdated browser which does not support Web Standards. Learn more.

EDS' Next Big Thing Blog: Read and Respond to What the EDS Fellows Say About Technology

Read and respond to what the EDS Fellows have to say about the future of technology on EDS' Next Big Thing Blog on eds.com.

Sony's Robotic Store

by Charlie Bess

I saw this blog entry about a way to distribute technology devices, and it made me wonder about the relationship among variability, personalization and simplicity.

This solution leverages the snack food distribution model for commodity technology devices. You can't get much simpler than that! It bypasses the personal service model with an approach aimed at people who know what they want - who don't want the hassle of dealing with sales folks.

Unless there are a bunch of these within an area though, it does make me wonder who refills them. That could be as expensive as having a sales support staff. The question that remains for me is: Are the products that cheap or the glass that thick?

Published Thursday, June 22, 2006 6:06 PM

Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS

Comments

Posted by Cliff Dennett Monday, June 26, 2006 2:37 PM

Raises a number of points for me - firstly on the variability, personalization and simplicity - it is my belief that automating the mundane frees up time and mental space for people to dream, imagine and create. So if such things free up time for me to do more 'creative' activities then I think there could be some kind of 'formula' - something like; increase in simplicity (of obtaining commodity products) = increase in ability (through time-saving) to personalise other parts of my life in a creative manner which increases the variability fo rpducts supplied to me (increased demand for less commodity and more high-value, craft-based offerings)

As least that's my (probably somewhat romantic) hope anyway.

Secondly, if you look at many of the most successful inventive offerings, they have combined offerings of one inndustry with the offerings of another - like your vending machine example. It may not be perfect, but it's a relatively low cost way of experimentation. We tried this a bit at Orange a few years ago (EMEA-based mobile telecomms provider) and they are still working on getting the formula right, but some elf-serve things seem to work.

As regards refil - what a great new outsource opportunity for someone with vans all over the country (UPS, The Post Office, Royal Mail etc) to pick up if they refil all vending machines.