Planning a digital signage deployment can sometimes feel overwhelming. These projects are facilitated by a multi-skilled, interdepartmental team consisting of technicians, electricians, project managers, and more. Because of this overlap, these groups might have problems communicating with one another, leading to stress and miscommunication.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. We’ve pulled together some of the best tips from our years of experience in the industry to pass along to you for a successful and stress-free digital signage deployment.
Planning Your Digital Signage Deployment
1. Create a Plan from the Beginning
What are your goals for implementing these digital displays? The more clearly you can lay these out from the beginning, the more successful your rollout will be. It’s important to have firm objectives so that at the end of the installation, you can evaluate how well the deployment met your expectations.
2. Meet with a Team
Bringing in an expert to help you make logistical decisions is a good idea, especially if you haven’t done a deployment like this before. For example, you want the displays to be in heavily trafficked areas where visitors are most likely to see them. However, you don’t want them in a spot where direct sunlight could damage the screen or cause glare. Experienced technicians or project managers can help you identify and address these potential issues.
3. Plan Your Content & Design
Believe it or not, you do actually want to have a content plan from the very beginning. Your digital signage will only be as effective as the content you display, so creating a plan for this is critical. You can outline key messaging, calls to action, and more. You will also want to make sure you identify content owners, who will approve content, and how often you expect the content to be refreshed. This way, just as with your installation goals, you can determine if your efforts with digital signage were a success.
4. Choose Your Data Solution
Whether you want to store your data in the cloud or in an on-site server, data solutions are something crucial to consider upfront. Depending on your budget, how much control you want over your server, and the personnel you have to manage it, either one could be a good option for your organization. Consult with your expert advisor if you need help understanding what data storage solution you need.
5. Workflow & Responsibility Planning
When the time finally comes to install your digital signage, you’ll want to know very clearly who’s in charge of what tasks. Delegating can help eliminate miscommunication and ensure that nothing gets overlooked. You’ll also want to think about the workflow of your messaging and content that will be displayed. Consider what that process will look like, what approvals will need to be made, and if there are any rules around the types of content that can be shown.
6. Design Your Solution Deployment
The key to any successful technology deployment, the first time, is to develop a deployment design. This design document contains all the specifics around the decisions that were made during the solutioning of your design, the technical elements of your solution, and all the details required for a successful deployment. It is a level of detail that is beyond a project plan. It is the actual step-by-step instructions on how your solution is deployed in the field. With a deployment design approach, you eliminate revisits, bad installs, unhappy customers, and cost overruns.
7. Post-Deployment Support
Once everything is set up, then what? Chances are an error will occur at some point, as is the case with any new technology. Outline who you can call for technical support and how that process should occur. You can also begin that relationship now and try to gather some FAQ answers to help you along as you’re learning your new technology.
With a well-crafted plan, you can avoid as much trouble and headache on deployment day as possible. One of the most important pieces is establishing your support team and project manager who can help guide you through this process.
Kinettix has a global network of installers and technicians who are well-experienced in digital signage deployments. If you’re looking for someone to manage your project or global field techs, contact us for a consultation. We’d be happy to connect you with one of our knowledgeable partners.
