Importance of Self-Service

In the beginning of 20th century, work intensified with the development of assembly lines, such as at the "Ford Motor Company". Large numbers of people started working at such companies. A problem appeared: how to feed this number of people in a short time. On this website, it is known that every problem has to be solved.

On November 2, 1920, G. Saunders was granted a patent titled "Self-Serving Store" (US patent 1357521). This system was commonly named "Piggly Wiggly" store system.

The new cafeteria system was a sort of an "anti-assembly" line, where machines (almost literally) serve men instead of men serving machines, as in an assembly line. Self-service principle greatly reduced the time needed to feed each individual, since the staff did not need to prepare a separate meal for each individual. 

While visiting the United States for the first time, the Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev toured through a self-service cafeteria. He was so amazed that after returning to the Soviet Union, he ordered the implementation of the self-service system throughout the country.

This is an example of technical and social systems staying in sync.

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