Wall studs and electrical connections may require modifications before screens can be installed.
Seven key steps
To help organizations achieve success—however they may specifically define and measure it—with their digital signage deployments, the following seven steps are recommended to make the planning and rollout experience smoother and more rewarding.
1. Prepare.
Digital signs can be used in many ways, from wayfinding systems, interactive informational kiosks and door signs to menu displays and reader boards, just to name a few. For any one of these applications to become successful, it should have a clear, concise and realistic purpose, well before all of the necessary pieces of the digital signage puzzle are assembled.
It is hard to put a puzzle together, after all, if no one knows what it is supposed to look like in the end. This is the time for the key stakeholders to do their homework and draft a vision.
2. Define the approach.
Some organizations’ approach to digital signage is to create buzz with advertising or enhance their customers’ experience, so as to generate additional revenue. Some support a self-serve process through interactivity. Others focus on communicating useful information with visual impact to the broader public. And still others aim to set the mood for their environment.
Whatever the approach (or combination of approaches), it is necessary to invest time, effort and forethought to develop a plan for achieving the organization’s goals successfully.
3.Test ideas.
Creative staff and managers can better identify the brand purpose of a digital signage project through an extensive discovery process. This is usually the final collaborative ‘homework’ phase before the actual assembly of the network, providing an opportunity to beta-test ideas before spending more time, effort and money to build a system. This phase is especially important when a digital signage strategy involves a strong marketing component.
