Essential Elements of Kiosk Solution Implementation: What Should You Know about the Deployment Process? Part III

In this series, we have talked through many invaluable tips about the key aspects of a successful kiosk deployment process.

Apply Learnings

Throughout the deployment process, you’ll learn things that can make your project better. First, you prototype your kiosk solution, next you pilot it, and finally you roll-out multiple units. At each stage in the process, you will get greater insight into how things can run more smoothly and what can be improved.  Be sure to apply your learning to each subsequent stage of deployment.

Consider the Cost of Change Over Time

If you need to make a change with the unit, it’s better to make the change in an earlier stage of development. Any changes made after deployment or mid-stream in the production process will dramatically increase costs.

Plan Ahead & Reduce Worries

Create a thorough plan for connectivity, power, shipping/receiving, field services support, help desk and other logistics. Managing deployment of units with sophisticated electronic technology isn’t the same as managing a display/fixture campaign roll-out. There is a tendency in the field to rush the shipping of units. But, the overall goal is to have something in the field, installed and producing results.

Quality results are born from thoughtful and thorough planning. The more work you do up-front, the more sleep you’ll get, and the less cost you’ll incur. Think of kiosks like appliances; every unit in the field should be identical. Don’t operate kiosks like desktop environments in the field. Test everything! Leave nothing to chance.

Final Thoughts

Controlling costs and increasing unit “up time” are achieved by combining insight and experience with detailed process-oriented program management. Today’s low cost hardware, proven software, and remote management technologies create a viable opportunity for almost every brand in every retail environment to leverage the benefits of Digital Merchandising.

Essential Elements of Kiosk Solution Implementation: What Should You Know about the Deployment Process? Part I

A successful deployment starts with proper planning during the initial stages of a project. There are some very practical questions and areas of focus that need to be taken into account when pulling together a kiosk or digital merchandising project.

The overall development process, from concept to pilot, may only take 10-14 weeks, but the decisions that are made at the beginning of the process can be the most crucial. These decisions will determine how you’ll cut costs, save time, and reduce the amount of headaches you’ll have when you get to deployment.

Your deployment process should be thoroughly planned “upstream,” meaning during the manufacturing process, or by developing an easy to use installation “Wizard.”  Field installation should be swift, simple and obvious. Make sure to provide step-by-step, detailed, and specific guidelines and procedures.  The installer should not have to improvise or make decisions on your behalf.

The Kiosk is a “Toaster”

For many kiosk deployments, it is highly likely that there is no commonality among kiosks in the field. The installation process may vary. There may be different drivers, BIOS settings, and even hardware. All the units in a kiosk roll out should be identical, to the fullest extent possible. Think of them as toasters rather than remote PCs, each having the same hardware, the same wiring, the same software, etc.  Multiple field configurations can increase costs and support efforts. Additionally, it can make it more likely that you will have problems over the life of the program.

Don’t Think of Units as PC’s

Plain and simple: kiosks are not desktop environments. You don’t want people to make changes on individual units. If all the units are identical it makes troubleshooting and remote management substantially more efficient.  No one should be allowed “into” the PC to be making one-off changes. This applies to both the initial installation and ongoing management. It takes discipline, but with this philosophy there is either a problem on all the field units, or it’s a hardware problem on one specific unit. There is no in-between. If you abide by this practical advice, you will save time and money and increase your field uptime.

What to Install in the Field

Our “best practice” for deployment includes the testing of all parts and functionality of units before they are shipped. The manufacturing process should include QC, test, and setup of units before they are sent out for installation. We have witnessed many projects where final set up and testing was left to the field installer. Just think about it, if you have created a process that requires installers to assemble the units in the field, you will have increased costs and increased variability. Each installer will put things together differently, which will lead to more problems down the line.

You should have an idea in mind of what your unit is going to look like in the field and see to it that the manufacturing and installation processes makes that happen. Make sure you test the entire system prior to deployment. Test the speakers. Test the parts. Test everything!

Engaging the Individual: The Impact of Daily Interactive Touch Points

Touch screen applications are pervasive in our world. From the bank to the grocery store, we see them everywhere. They are even in our pockets and nestled into women’s handbags. We rely on touch screens to complete transactions, get on planes, and keep us informed and culturally aware. We also rely on them as our small, but powerful, daily information sources for any Google worthy question we have.

Today’s consumers are empowered unlike ever before when making purchasing decisions. Savvy marketers know that they have limited control over the results of a Google search or a barcode scan in an Amazon marketplace app. Forward-thinkers know they do have an opportunity to influence in the aisle, at the point-of-sale or at other daily decision points.

Interactive at Multiple & Many Locations
Interacting with touch screen technology has been transformative in our daily lives. I bet there are a few implementations that you take for granted in your day-to-day. In fact, the most successful kiosk implementation in history is the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

Some implementations like kiosks at airline check-in or immigration are embraced by the public. Others, like self-check out at the grocery store have mixed reviews and are not universally accepted. Nevertheless, touch screen interactivity is woven into the fabric of our daily experiences. Pioneering implementations like the ATM have opened the gate to acclimate numerous sections of the consumer populace to using technology when they are seeking assistance or knowledge. They’ve helped to foster the opportunity and the willingness in the consumer to rely on technology to assist them in daily decision-making.

Driving the Individual to Act: Connecting with a Real Need
For marketers, the key is bringing the power of interactive touch points in line with the brand experience where it’s needed most;  The Point of Decision. The Point of Decision is that place, typically right at the shelf where products are stored and merchandised. This is today’s battle ground. Television and other mass market mediums are generating demand and driving consumers to the stores, but the facts are, according to the Point of Purchasing Advertising Institute, that 7 out of 10 buying decisions are made IN STORE.

Marketers can’t rely solely on traditional methods to communicate their message. Packaging and POP displays are no longer enough to draw a consumer to an item on shelf and convince them to buy your product over your competitors’. However, you’ve got a captive audience within the aisle of a retail store. The consumer is there for a reason (usually) and willing to engage with your product or brand if given the chance. But, once they’re engaged with your touch screen implementation in aisle or on an end cap, what about it is going to impact their behavior? The quality of your content will make all the difference and you’ll want to make sure it’s cast to meet their specific needs.

Your audience is captive, your location is set, and now, what’s going to be on the screen? You’ve got to start with an excellent user interface. It takes a little know-how about human psychology and knowledge about ideal positioning of design and content to create a great user experience that moves consumers to purchase. What is it that you are offering the consumer that they aren’t going to get from their mobile device? Are you going to give them a brief interactive tour of your product line, are you going to tell them about what’s on sale or personally assist them to find the perfect product? You need to give the consumer something they can’t get elsewhere.  Are you going to save them time, save them money, or make their life better? If not, you’re not going to attract or connect with the consumer– no matter what you’re selling or where your unit is.

Technology & Expertise for Roll Out
Once you understand the impact you can have, next is implementing a real solution. What is the right technology to support your user experience? What is the right deployment strategy? How and when do you update?  Whether your project is an in-store or multi-branch deployment in the banking sector, you’ll need cost-effective answers to these and other questions as you roll-out to hundreds or thousands of locations. Most importantly you’ll need a team that’s dedicated to the life-span of the program. A skilled, experienced team can be the difference between success and failure of a digital merchandising program. The costs and stakes are high and there is no room for amateurs.

You want to improve the lives of consumers by giving them the convenience and crucial information they need in their everyday lives. With touch screen interactivity, you can harness the power of technology that’s already so pervasive in our daily lives. With a little expertise and tested strategies, you can implement a reliable solution that makes bottom line driving impact.

You can learn more on how to leverage the impact of daily touch points strategically in a session at Digital Signage Expo (DSE) titled “The Power of Interactive: From Drawing Crowds to Engaging Individuals.“

This article was also featured in Signage Solutions Magazine Online.