Kiosk Deployment Fundamentals

Source – Public Domain, 2003

Recent economic conditions have had the dual effect of stalling planned Kiosk Deployment projects while at the same time allowing kiosk technologies to advance without causing trial and error casualties along the path of evolution. In the 90’s, the biggest risk for kiosk deployers lay in the technology, due largely to patchwork software as well as failure-prone hardware. The good news today is that there is a good selection of purpose-built integrated kiosk software available and much of the hardware is now bullet-proof.

This means the risk has now shifted to the business side of the kiosk deployment. Kiosk project failure rates are still relatively high. Why? According to industry experts, too many organizations launch kiosk endeavors with no real vision and strategy, only a belief that they can reach more customers with fewer staff.

To plan and launch a kiosk deployment that will ultimately deliver the expected ROI, there are several fundamental business drivers that must be addressed. Here are some of the key ones:

• Recruit a Bias-Free Kiosk Industry Expert – either a single contractor or a specialist firm that does not have a vested interest in any particular product or service. There are just too many technology options and operational variables for any general project manager.
• Develop a Phased project plan, with stages for Proof of Concept, Beta Test, and Rollout increments. Sample the Kiosk Deployment project plan at IT-Project-Templates.com for a complete list of phases, activities and tasks. Build in allowances for inevitable changes in requirements and scope.
• Do your Due Diligence on vendor selection – check vendor backgrounds and seek client testimonials. Choose only vendors with proven track records and scrutinize contracts and service level agreements carefully.
• Know your customer user community – study your potential customers and determine what services and features they want from your kiosk. Resist the temptation to let marketing and other stakeholders dictate the purpose of the kiosk. Conduct focus groups during planning stages and issue customer surveys during Beta Test to validate the kiosk offerings. Concentrate on usability and the customer experience.
• Plan for physical installation and maintenance contingencies – don’t leave installation details to the last minute. Assess security and ADA compliance issues up front. Examine logistical issues related to remote installations and maintenance, such as contracting site teams and equipment shipping. Also, know in advance where the kiosk will be placed for convenience and exposure. There should be consistency in appearance and location across all installations.
• Secure employee buy-in up front – kiosk projects have been known to fail because they are seen as a threat to employees. Include rank and file representatives during the project to involve them in the decision making process and to raise employee awareness that the kiosk is not there to compete or replace them.