Final Customer Purchasing from an Intermediary of the Product

Acquire Steps: Acquire steps include all activities the customer completes preceding the purchase of the product. These steps include the customer's efforts needed to identify and evaluate Intermediaries and travel to the Intermediary location.

B.
Resources: Reduce resources required for the use of the product

2.
Time: Reduce the time the customer must spend with the product

A. Reduce steps the customer must use with the product.

Reduce customer steps in the product process
Move information electronically

Add electronic communication to ordering system

No.	Year	SIC	Note
1	2004	5411	The Piggly Wiggly store chain is testing technology by Pay By Touch, a consumer payment service, that links shopper credit cards or bank accounts with digital images of their finger. The scanner doesn't store actual fingerprints, but takes a set of images and then encrypts that data to create a digital identity. To use the new technology, customers must first create an account with the store by scanning their finger, entering an access code and providing a loyalty card, credit or bank-account information.
2	2003	5511	Using Autobytel, customers are able to work out all the details of buying a car online. Autobytel forwards all the information in the form of a purchase request referral to the dealer. The dealer then supplies the consumer a price.
3	2002	5531	Carquest will unveil an online ordering system for repair shops later this year. Most of its business comes from repair shops and not consumers.
4	2001	5812	FreedomPay, which allows customers to make quick purchases by waving a wand over a sensor at the point of sale, will be instituted in McDonalds. The system reduces cash handling and decreases transaction time. McDonalds in Boise will test out the new system that can reduce transaction time to 15 seconds. Canteen, the world's largest vending company, will install FreedomPay in vending machines.
5	2002	5812	Radio frequency identification (RFID) is being used to tag key rings and cell phones of customers, enabling them to pay almost instantly at fast-food and gas-station chains. Also Japanese sushi restaurants are using the tagging systems to track the items ordered by customers, giving more accurate and speedy bills. The technology offers new heights of self-service and product information.
6	2000	7370	Intelisys brings together buyers from across a number of industries to purchase everything from office supplies to bed linens from an array of suppliers. The Intelisys software automates the purchase approval process.
7	2003	7832	New companies are allowing consumers to order or print movie tickets at home. ATM-like machines called automated box offices are also popping up in theater lobbies and allow moviegoers to swipe their credit card and print out a ticket.

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