Retail Checkstand

Image of a grocery retail checkstand.

Project Team

Project Director: David Ringholz
Co-Investigator: RL Grubbs
Research Assistants: Jason Quick, Doria Kung, Camillo Vargus

Summary / Outcome Goals

The General Workstation Program is conducting research to aid in the development of new designs for workstations in environments where accessible workstations are not available. Specifically, the program is focused on grocery retail checkstands. The project is also creating a knowledge base (including anthropometric measures and digital human models) from which to inform and develop Universal Designs.

Progress to Date

Complete

• Conduct Literature Review on Disability and Retail Employment
  • Conduct Literature Review on Functional Characteristics of underrepresented populations
• Generate preliminary criteria for product performance
• Construct research protocol and Pilot test
  • Revise protocol and test new fixtures
• Collect stakeholder input to evaluate and prioritize design criteria
• Anthropometric Data Collection Instrument: An illustrated guide taking static measurements from underrepresented populations.
• Universal Check Stand Test Fixture: A modular, height adjustable device that allows researchers to test the effects of work height and component configuration on reach for various populations

In Progress

• 3D Digital Human Persona:Three Dimensional, computer generated mannequins that allow researchers and designers to visualize users in underrepresented populations. These 3DHP are statistical averages of measurements taken from samples of extreme populations, where the effects are strongly correlated to user characteristics, i.e.: reach/height
• Reach/Effort Contour Maps: Computer generated three dimensional point clouds that represent how far a person can reach and degree of effort. These maps can be used to validate designs that require reach for standing and seated users.
• Tools for Statistical Analysis: models that utilize statistical procedures in order to analyze data collected from research testing as well as facilitate prediction of workstation fit for various users.
• Performance measures for UD Checkstand: An illustrated, quick reference fact sheet describing the design specifications and configurations of a universally designed grocery checkstand.

Ongoing

• Disseminate research findings through publications and presentations that target HR managers (SHRM), grocery industry organizations (FMI, UFCW), government regulatory agencies (OSHA), manufacturers, facility managers, employees and customers.

Key Findings

Literature review analysis yields the following results:

• Current retail checkstands do not accommodate seating and standing users
• Checkstand design and task design have contributed to reduced employment of people with mobility impairments
• Retailers have to make individualized custom modifications to accommodate employees who need to sit while working or require a reduced workload
• Checkstand design contributes significantly to retail workplace injury and stress
• Retailers who fail to make necessary modifications to checkstands and other environmental components have been subject to litigation

Preliminary Heuristic Evaluation of existing workstations, including the LoadKing model acquired for testing has yielded the following results:

• Working heights for item through-put [scanning and moving items from primary conveyor to secondary conveyor] and POS terminal interaction are inappropriate for seated users.
• Free workspace, including secondary staging area, are insufficient for optimal item through-put
• Overall workstation customization is very difficult and must be done as a function of product specification [i.e.: ordering a left or right handed checkstand configuration]
• Clear floor space between the POS Terminal cabinet and rear bagging area is insufficient for a wheelchair user.
• There are no adjustable work surfaces with respect to height, angle, or surface area.
• Storage space is limited and minimally adjustable.

Selected Publications / Presentations

Design Guidelines

• Ringholz, D., Quick, J., and Vargus, C. (2007). "Grocery Checkstand Design: Guidelines and Resources." Georgia Institute of Technology: Atlanta, GA.

Journal Articles

• Ringholz, D. (submitted). "Determining Performance Requirements for Universal Design of Grocery Retail Checkstands: A Literature Review." Ergonomics.

Conference Papers / Presentations

• Ringholz, D. (2006, February). "Pilot Study on Reach Extents of Underrepresented Populations." 2006 Applied Ergonomics Conference Proceedings.
• Ringholz, D. (2005, September). "Functional Characteristics of Users in Tasks Associated with Grocery Retail Checkout: A literature Review." 2005 HFES Conference Annual Proceedings.
• Ringholz, D. (2005, September). "Universal Design and Grocery Retail Research Program." 2005 WORK RERC State of the Science Conference Proceedings.