< Previous20 Kiosk and Digital Signage T ransmitting a vast amount of information across an entire school community can be a challenge. But digital signage can create a sense of unity, making communication simpler and more streamlined. St John’s College is a leading co-educational independent school in South Wales. The school uses education-focused digital signage software, TrilbyTV, to share a variety of content, including student successes and achievements, school announcements and event promotions. “We obviously have a lot of display boards up all around the school but sometimes the content can become old,” says Francis Taylor, assistant head, admissions and external relations, “Digital signage means that we can have dynamic content that’s always changing and always updated and it’s changed our school communication in a huge way in terms of functionality and impact.” Trilby TV’s software allows announcements to be made immediately, making communication more efficient and effective. Streamlined communication The school has been able to display student work, advertise school concerts and events, as well as streamline the amount of work that needs doing, all on signage and displays. TrilbyTV’s integration with Google for content and also single sign-on, has helped strengthen the school’s existing technology investments. “It’s great to be able to easily share announcements with students so that they’re informed about their daily school activities, and to be able to share useful information to the wider school community,” says Taylor. “As a Google school it’s really helpful for us to embed Google slides on the system,” said Laura Taylor, head of the junior school at St John’s. “This means that staff and children can update them with ease.” By KDS and Trilby TV www.trilbytv.co.uk Hey, teacher! Transforming school communication with digital signageKiosk and Digital Signage 21 Sense of pride Visual communication can be transformative in the way that school information is shared and this can have a positive impact on student pride. Thara, a Year 11 student, says, “I’ve managed to put out a poster on screens across the school that promotes our event which I found really useful. More pupils have been excited about it and whenever I see it I feel proud as well.” Timing is everything Some schools have dispensed with bells altogether and display class times and break times via digital signage, “We have a two stage process in place. First, the screen says you have five minutes to get to class, and then, after five minutes, it states where the study spaces are,” says Scott Jewell, business manager at Perth Grammar School. Some digital systems can be tricky to navigate and require specific permissions but Trilby TV software allows you to add multiple staff members to share ownership. It also lets you group screens and content so some users can see and upload specific items. With multiple users allowed, anyone within the school is able to use it. Social progress For some schools, digital signage is a great way to plan social events. “As a rights-respecting school, we try to highlight different national theme days,” says Jewell, “Our social content falls in line with the calendar and again the digital signage will match that.” Quite a lot of the content comes from pupils, he adds, “We have a pupil council group and it’s a great way to share their voice.” As a rights- respecting school, we try to highlight different national theme days22 Kiosk and Digital Signage E mployees may spend only a few minutes of their day travelling in an elevator. But by making the best use of its potential as a communications platform HR teams can use this short journey to genuinely boost employee experience. Here are five ways they can go about it. Engage hybrid workers with an enriched experience that starts at the front door Hybrid working has accelerated in the years since the pandemic, with workers now spending on average 40% of their hours in remote locations. This creates a new onus on organisations to elevate their physical office environments to provide a richer employee experience, thereby motivating employees to go into the office more often and use the space effectively for activities focused on co- creation, innovation and community. Employee communication strategies that make use of physical office locations, such as elevators, are a critical part of this. Used strategically, they create the possibility of building up a rewarding or even exclusive experience from the moment an employee enters the office building, be that via the delivery of timely company news, a reiteration of corporate values or even ‘mood conditioning,’ using imagery or soundscapes. Capture employee attention in a naturally distraction-free environment Employees are bombarded with information. From work emails, to push notifications and texts, there are myriad platforms competing for their attention throughout the day. For the few seconds they might spend in an elevator though, the lack of mobile network coverage creates an inherently distraction-free Five ways your elevator can boost the employee experience The Schindler team on how to capture attention – www.schindler.co.ukKiosk and Digital Signage 23 environment in which their attention is far less fragmented. This creates an openness to communications that might be lacking in many other settings. Elevators can therefore be a highly effective vehicle to capture employee attention, reaching them at a time when they’re most able to focus and where they may be looking for a welcome distraction in a setting which might traditionally be thought of as awkward. A platform such as Schindler’s DMS opens up to inform, entertain and communicate within an elevator setting. Hold attention (and reduce waste) with digital OOH media Employee communication delivered via digital out-of-home (DOOH) media, such as eye-level screens in office elevators, is not only a less wasteful way to communicate with employees, but also far more effective at capturing their attention compared to both traditional out-of-home (OOH) platforms, such as posters pinned up on a noticeboard, or online media, like email. DOOH delivers higher rates of retention and a greater willingness by employees to spend a few seconds viewing content, particularly in areas which require a natural dwell time, such as elevators. Logistically, they’re also easier to update or amend, and reduce the potential waste and environmental impact of traditional OOH media. Leverage in-built flexibility to deliver targeted, real-time updates Screens within elevators are typically organised via a network of centrally connected screens. As a result, employers are able to relay any updated content in as little as an hour making them an ideal platform for ultra-targeted and timely communications. This might include local weather, the details of upcoming work events or relevant news developments. Employers could even go one step further, making use of programmatic solutions to micro-target messaging for employees at different parts of the day. Whatever the nature of the content, elevators using Schindler’s DMS can be used as vehicles for dynamic and customised content that reflects the expectations of employees used to the real-time nature of digital content consumed via their smartphones. Curate a holistic content experience Make the most of the dynamism of in-elevator screens with a content plan that meets different employee needs. For example, a 2021 Office Pulse study found that more than 90% of people enjoyed updates on local weather and more than 80% wanted bitesize updates on trending news. Organisations could tailor the latter within office buildings to provide helpful summaries on wider company news, employee perks or policies. Pair this informational content with ‘digital escapes’ too, interspersing vivid or relaxing imagery on screens to help relieve workplace stress. Hybrid working has accelerated in the years since the pandemic, with workers now spending on average 40% of their hours in remote locations. www.kdseurope.com | sales@kdseurope.com | editor@kdseurope.com KDS Magazine is the leading technical journal for manufacturers, integrators and deployers of self service terminals and digital signage. Published on a bi-monthly basis, KDS features news, articles and features from industry-leading bodies, and the very latest information on innovative technology. Past issues can be found on our website: www.kdseurope.com, along with news, features and information on events throughout the year. 2023’s media pack can also be accessed on the website HERE Transforming school communication with digital signage Self-service kiosks in an evolving cashless society Five ways your elevator can boost the employee experience Also in this issue: Modular panel PCs: empowering flexibility and performance CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGYNext >