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Answer these 4 questions before deploying kiosk network

September 16, 2011 by Michael Ionescu — President, Ionescu Technologies

A successful self-service network should save your customers time and you money, but without proper planning, deploying a series of self-service kiosks could do the exact opposite. Equipment not operating up to expectations will have service reps out in the field trying to fix problems while your user base is not helped and more money is being wasted.

We have a few essential questions you need to answer as you continue to plan out the logistics of your project.

1. Have you planned appropriately for networking and remote monitoring?
Internet connectivity has become almost ubiquitous today. And almost no kiosk network should be built without it. Networked kiosks should not only let you update your content and system remotely, but backend monitoring software can help keep track of the status of multiple aspects of each kiosk like power, software crashes or other general hardware malfunctions. Not having this ability leaves you running blind, leaving you to send service people out to monitor the status of each kiosk. Unreliable internet can have this same effect. So, taking the time to make sure an internet connection is reliable can go a long way.

2. Do you have time to refine and redesign?
You will most likely need to improve or change things after your network goes public. No one ever uses the interface exactly the way it is originally envisioned. Ideally, putting some time and money aside to address these issues is a must in order to maximize the user experience. Since the inception of our company, we have constantly been making tweaks to our software to bring additional functionality and new features. It costs money, but many of the clients we have now would not be working with us had we just stayed with our original software design. Every new tweak or new addition attracts the eyes of potential new client and can improve your user experience dramatically.

3. Are your designs future proofed as much as possible?
With the pace of technological advancement, future proofing a kiosk network is a consideration that might keep you from replacing expensive kiosks every three or four years. Consider purchasing a kiosk that has easily replaceable components. Having a sturdy metal frame can provide a great base that can last almost indefinitely barring any significant design changes that are needed. The main components of a kiosk that need to be upgraded to keep up with new technologies are touchscreen panels, CPUS and printers. Being able to swap these in and out can give a kiosk a whole new lease on life at a quarter of the cost.

4. Are your components easily replaceable?
This goes hand-in-hand with the last question. Not having swappable parts is a potential problem down the road when kiosks need to be serviced. Being able to swap out malfunctioning components with new components directly in the field can save a whole lot of time and money as opposed to having customized components that need to be sent back to the manufacturer for repair, which can leave you with weeks of downtime.

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