CETW: Thanks for Visiting Us!

We were at Customer Engagement Technology World on March 28 & 29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco! We heard from two insightful keynote speakers:

• Brian Solis, Principal of the Altimeter Group, author of “The End of Business as Usual”
• Brandon Berger, Worldwide Chief Digital Officer of Ogilvy & Mather

Thanks for visiting us! We made a lot of great connections. We’re looking forward to seeing you at CETW in New York.

If we didn’t meet you at the show, we’d still love to learn more about your unique story and how we can create value for you, your brand, and your customers. Reach out to us today.

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: Choosing an Ideal Fixture/Enclosure Vendor

“Content is King” is an axiom in the kiosk and digital merchandising industry. However, content is just one of the elements of the overall customer experience. If you’ve got great content, you’ll want to ensure that the rest of your enclosure looks and works equally as great. That’s where fixture/enclosure manufacturers come in. They’ll ensure that the kiosk unit is attractive, easy-to-use, and accessible for set-up and repair.

The selection of the ideal enclosure supplier is a crucial step. You’ll want to consider the goal of your program and the relative strengths and weaknesses of different providers. Many providers have a Point-of-Purchase (POP) heritage and the design of kiosk and digital merchandising enclosures are part of a larger POP display capability.

Traditional POP displays do not contain electronic components. Those who approach enclosure design strategy from a POP heritage are well-informed of the competing interests of the sponsoring brand, the retailer, and the consumer – this can be a real advantage in retail settings. Other suppliers are dedicated to a kiosk unit-centric approach and solely on projects which include electronic components. Each style of enclosure provider can deliver quality results, but you may realize that one style suits your need better than the other.

Regulation & Industry Best Practice
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements ensure that kiosk implementations are easily accessible by all persons. ADA regulation is a fact of life in the kiosk business. Your enclosure manufacturer should be well-versed in the measurement and spec requirements for compliance.

There is a saying that’s very appropriate to kiosk design, “Professionals only focus on the details, amateurs don’t even know they exist.” Designing enclosures with large-scale electronics is a very different process than designing for standard POP fixtures. Component access, wire routing and heat are all issues that need an experienced design team to consider. Is your provider familiar with the ventilation requirements your unit will have? Will it need a fan or will it function properly with passive ventilation? A common beginner’s mistake is to design the unit without proper thought given to the risk of overheating. Successful design is all about the details.

Most kiosk units are in the field for a minimum of three years, and experienced professionals design the unit with the long-term in mind. Experts will make provisions for easy component changes and select materials that will last throughout the lifespan of the program.

Ability to Work Hand-in-Glove with Other Providers
Finally, a good fixture/enclosure manufacturer will work hand-in-glove with your software provider during the entire project. As mentioned in my earlier posts, you’ll want to find a qualified team that has experience working well together and is led by one key vendor.

When picking your providers, work with them to design your program with the end in mind. Before considering a roll-out, make sure you build a prototype and then pilot it. You will gain valuable knowledge throughout that process that you’ll apply if you choose to push out thousands of units to numerous locations.

Previous posts in this series:

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: What to Ask Before You Begin

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: What Should You Ask Your Hardware Vendors?

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: Aspects of Quality Software

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: Aspects of Quality Software

The quality of your software will determine your level of success with any kiosk solution or digital merchandising program. Software performance has two essential elements: user experience design and remote management monitoring.

User Experience
User Experience is the most important of all the kiosk elements. When designing the user experience, you’ll need to keep in mind, how and why you are interacting with your prospective customers. Today’s consumers are knowledgeable and savvy, if the value proposition of using the system isn’t great enough for them, they’ll simply walk away.

Ask yourself, what happens when they walk up to the screen? What are you offering them that other sources aren’t? Do you save them time, save them money, or make their life better? In order to be successful, your project must do at least one of these three things.

Kiosk solutions have the unique ability to provide the consumer with the product information that they need right at the point of purchase. Unlike the web, a kiosk solution can be narrowcasted for a specific audience, at a specific time, at a specific location. The software you employ must directly communicate the value you bring that wins out over other outlets where consumers can gain product information.

Remote Management
There’s no sense in creating a great user experience, only to have it not perform well out in the field. Remote management is a close second to user experience in its importance to a digital merchandising initiative or kiosk solution implementation.

A remote management program is crucial to know whether your units in the field are running and how your system is being maintained. It will tell you how the system is being used, by whom, and whether or not it’s being updated and kept current.

Find an Experienced Provider
Any experienced software provider will also know how to address and manage issues that arise. Some common needs are unit malfunction support, troubleshooting, and decision-making about field service calls. You’ll want a provider who is competent in support procedures and can demonstrate how they’ve provided these services to other clients.