In 2019, information kiosks are fast replacing traditional billboards and advertisements. And while they may appear invasive, they are actually helping to improve your everyday lives. Today, companies everywhere are understanding the benefits of information kiosks and how they change the way we all purchase goods and consume information. Today, we are going to delve into some of the benefits of information kiosks and how they can help just about any industry.
What is an Information Kiosk
An information kiosk is essentially an interactive or non-interactive kiosk that displays information or provides it through some form of interactive menu system. An example of an information kiosk would be those available at your local library, providing an active catalog of their inventory. Another would be the kiosks available at malls and outlets, displaying trending items in their stock.
How does a kiosk use information systems
An information system is a combination of hardware, software, and telecommunication networks that are built to collect, create and distribute useful data towards another organizational setting. While that definition might sound very technical, in short, it means that an information system is a system that effectively gathers information and redistributes it.
Information kiosks are an embodiment of that concept, acting as an intermediary by gathering data on relevant information and presenting it in a more digestible format for the consumer. This data is then taken so it can be analyzed to assist consumers and individuals with products and services that are more relevant to their specific needs, helping to streamline more monotonous tasks in their lives.
Examples of Industries that utilize information kiosks
- Health-Healthcare uses information kiosks to assist with patient check-in, to track patient health records and in other cases, to handle payments. This frees up the staff to assist with more urgent matters.
- Hospitality-Hospitality utilizes information kiosks to present services or nearby attractions to their guests. They are also used to book rooms or reservations for services like the spa or gym.
- Education/Schools-Information kiosks at schools are used for scheduling, wayfinding and for cataloguing pertinent information such as school transfers or application assistance.
- Government-Government services such as the DMV or Post Office employ information kiosks to help with scheduling needs and for tracking packages.
- Retail-Information kiosks are utilized by retail to advertise currently trending products to draw more attention towards said product. They are also employed to allow consumers the ability to check the availability of an individual product on their own without asking an employee.
- Fast Food-Fast food or Quick service restaurants utilize information kiosks to advertise trending products as well as allow an individual to place an order on their own so that it is ready for them by the time they finish queuing from the line.
- Corporate-Corporate companies use information kiosks to assist their employees and other service workers with wayfinding in their large corporate offices. Since many of these campuses are so large, it is quite easy to get lost, hence why kiosks are placed to ensure no one is lost. They are also useful for allowing contractors to sign in without the need for a secretary.
Benefits of Information Kiosks
Information kiosks provide a multitude of benefits, principal of which would be customer freedom. With many of their services automated, it allows greater consumer freedom in allowing an individual to engage with the kiosk on their own terms. Below are a list of other benefits that they will certainly bring to any business.
- Cost Effective-principal benefit after customer freedom is the ability for kiosks to save on resources, most importantly, staff time. Since information kiosks allow visitors, staff and other contractors to sign in, this saves administrative staff more time, allowing them to complete other, more urgent tasks.
- Adaptable-Beyond just providing information, self-service kiosks can be adapted to provide wayfinding maps and to accept payments as well.
- Connectivity-Self-service kiosks are connected to a network, allowing them to be remotely accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. This advantage allows for new software patches and updates on the fly.
- Quicker Service-Due to its ease of use, self service kiosks can be accessed by just about anyone, allowing for quick and easy interactions between the consumer and the company. In addition, having more functions regulated to the kiosks allows for the staff to assist with other functions, exponentially increasing the speed that a customer's needs are met.
- Eye Catching-With many kiosks having large digital screens, this creates more draw to the place of business, increasing the customer base.
- Active Interaction-Since the kiosks are self-service, this means that customers are an active participant in choosing their own needs, creating less error in choosing what they want instead of having to rely on a third party.
- Improved Customer satisfaction-As stated previously, with quicker service, customer satisfaction needs are met at a higher pace, drawing in more repeat business as it is much easier for a customer to engage with a machine on their own terms.
Different types of information Kiosks Designs
- Outdoor-Outdoor kiosks are designed to provide their services in almost any weather condition, whether it be rain, sun or snow. These are typically freestanding models, with their design typically more robust than the indoor variants as much of the kiosk needs to be able to weather any condition and be durable enough to survive impacts from other sources to prevent tampering. Their large size also provides a large area for more attractive advertisements.
- Indoor-More nimbly designed than the outdoor variants, indoor kiosks vary between freestanding models to small tablets. These designs are typically more popular with most industries due to their flexibility in size as they do not need to be as large as outdoor models.
- Custom-Of course custom kiosk models exist for those that want the benefits of both outdoor and indoor variants. There are some kiosks that float in between these two types and any kiosk company is happy to build one based on your individual needs.
Where to buy an information kiosk
Information kiosks can be purchased through a variety of credible companies. These kiosks can be customized to a large degree based on a company's needs and specifications. Many of these companies provide some discounts for bulk orders as well.
Redyref Interactive is can provide high quality information kiosk designs. They can provide digital kiosks that fit a wide spectrum of use, whether it is for wayfinding, self-service options or information, Redyref Interactive can build any kiosk that you need.
While information kiosks have certainly removed some human interaction from our lives, they have also greatly impact how we purchase goods and obtain information for the better. With information kiosks readily available, they help to ensure that we are never lost or that we are never late because the line at the coffee shop or bus stop was too long. In short, they help to put more power to the consumer, which is always a positive.
