Picking partners
This complete turnkey signage system included a multi-lingual interface, audio connectivity, and wheelchair accessibility to promote inclusivity in the community.
Digital signage systems should not be a technological burden for those implementing and managing them. Today, they can be fairly easy to use, even when it comes to creating content for them.
The key is to find, choose, and connect with the right team of partners. These will include suppliers of hardware and software platforms. Some may be certified for specific brands and systems, having built up relevant expertise over the years. Technology partners can also help add value through customization and a variety of ‘bells and whistles.’
With this in mind, the best partners see each other as more than just vendors and customers. Instead, they work together as a team with shared interests, trust, and honesty. Together, they find ways to save money, adapt existing content, and optimize the overall workflow.
Installation, too, may involve collaboration between partners, particularly the IT department.
Ensuring a successful implementation
A new rollout is always exciting, but it is important to be patient and follow certain steps to ensure a successful digital signage installation.
There may be some final decision-making, for example, involving precisely where the displays will be hung or otherwise placed. This may be based on where a panel will be most effective at capturing attention, supporting interactivity, integrating with the surrounding environment, and not causing traffic issues. Locations may even dictate whether the network uses software that resides within the hardware or, instead, Software as a Service (SaaS) via the cloud.
There is certainly a lot more to implementation than installing the screens and flipping a switch. Creation of the initial content is of major importance and, depending on the particular system and goals, can be a significant task unto itself.
In some cases, content creators write new copy and produce original videos to appear on the displays. DOOH advertising may be solicited from outside the organization, but it might also need to be customized for the network before it is displayed. In any case, content will need to be loaded into the system and scheduled appropriately.
There may also be related process that affect or are affected by the digital signage content. If a retailer is planning to advertise certain items that are on sale, it is important to ensure those products are already on the racks or shelves in sufficient quantities, with the right prices marked. And if content will be based on other sources of data, such as a customer loyalty program, then it is essential to create and test links between the two to ensure their combined functionality.
Flexibility and overall simplicity of digital signage software is a key differentiator for PharmaChoice. Pharmacy owners have a special need to educate and inform their customers.
Digital signage content is not unlike the Internet, in that it needs to be refreshed or changed frequently to keep people’s attention. So, there should be processes in place for updating content on a regular basis.
Supporting the screens
After a new digital signage network is up and running and looking good, there needs to be continuous support to keep it running properly. Beyond maintenance, such support could involve updates, in-person consulting and training opportunities.
As mentioned earlier, metrics can help measure the impact and results of a digital signage project. The issues this notion raises include which metrics to establish, how frequently to gather them, how best to compile them, and how to present consequent findings. The process may be handled in-house or by outside partners.
The next, related process, of course, is how to follow up on these metrics and observations with actions to make the digital signage network even more effective. For this purpose, regular followups should be scheduled to identify what works well and what could be improved.
A digital signage network is easier than ever to launch and can do amazing things for an organization, but it is important both to get off to a good start and to continue down the path to success with a focus on shared goals.
Steve Kaelble is an author writing on behalf of Scala, which develops digital signage software that is provided in Canada through various channel partners. For more information, visit www.scala.com.
