What’s Next After Digital Signage – Integrations?

It’s happened—your company has finally invested in digital signage and is utilizing the technology in a myriad of ways. Digital signage has assisted you with customer engagement, brand awareness, and personalization, or maybe it’s used in a corporate setting to offer company information, updates and entertainment. Regardless of how your company uses digital signage, there are still avenues yet unexplored.

Digital signage has the capacity to integrate with other tools within your company. It can work with existing systems to enhance the customer or employee experience and to improve efficiency. With integrations, the ROI of digital signage is even stronger and higher. 

Digital Signage and Inventory Management

Digital signage won’t replace the scanning tools, wireless devices or other instruments used to keep accurate counts and perform a variety of in-store operations involving stock. However, digital signage can be integrated to measure, recalibrate or instantly change current promotions based on inventory levels. xamples of how digital signage has been integrated with inventory management include:

Examples of how digital signage has been integrated with inventory management include:

• Showcase new inventory to get it moving – Use digital signage to display the most current offerings, and to get customers excited about the newest, latest items
• Promote items that are only in stock – Digital signage can be integrated directly into your inventory management system, which will allow it to change promotions throughout the day to focus only on items (whether new, on sale, clearance, etc.) that are available.
• Drive traffic to a particular area of the store – If a current promotion includes excess stock, use digital signage to direct customers to that area of the store; take it one step further by engaging them with messages, ability score, mobile coupons and more
• In the restaurant industry, use digital signage to manage inventory – Track trends and control menu mix, reduce shrinkage, and have the fresher product on hand

Digital Signage and POS

In-store digital signage integration gives companies a lot of capability when integrated with point-of-sale (POS). Two of the top benefits are improving customer service and increasing sales.

The marriage between digital signage and POS entails accessing real-time customer, market, and product information. Campaigns can instantaneously be offered or altered, which is not something that can be done with static signage.

With the information gathered and analyzed, companies can target specific stores or regions, and alter messages based on time of day and type of customer. It can also educate and offer relevant information necessary to drive sales. It can also be used to direct customers to additional purchases that may be of interest based on their purchasing behavior.

Digital Signage and Analytics

In-store analytics is the hot topic of 2016. With endless possibilities, integrating your digital signage with real-time analytics opens a world of possibilities. For some, one of the most challenging concepts within the world today is the Internet of Things, but knowledge of IoT is essential to understanding how digital signage and analytics can work together. At its most basic, IoT is the capability of everyday things to have connectivity; to be able to send and receive data.

So how does this tie in with analytics and digital signage? It allows businesses to track trends, including things like what’s attracting customers in a store and lets them use it to engage with targeted messages.

For example, a retail store that uses touch-first digital signage can gather information on multiple levels. They can find the most heavily used touch-first displays, the highest traffic areas in the store, and find actionable business data within the user experiences.

Some brands/companies have actually used digital signage to track and engage for years now. One of the earliest adopters was Red Bull, whose digital signage often encourages mobile users to get coupons. By agreeing to the terms, they receive the coupon and their actions give Red Bull the data to personalize future ads for that user. Red Bull continues to raise the bar and still rates high at digital signage conventions for their ingenuity.

Consider this…

Some uses for digital signage and analytics has taken on a sci-fi edge, especially in regards to the audience. Digital signage can take steps to identify, engage and further personalize toward an audience in real-time. This is achieved through tools like face recognition software, eye tracking, capturing the type of content that engaged and how much time was spent on it. By taking the information in, it lets the digital signage adapt instantly to more relevant messages and advertisements.

Digital Signage and Assurance of Learning

Schools and universities have discovered an ideal marriage between digital signage and assurance of learning. It is working on two levels: The first is to enhance channels already being used in schools.

For example, in a K-12 test setting, digital signage integration can be used as a visual aid. In fact, it is often more stimulating to visual learners than a piece of paper. In colleges, you can use it for real-time case analysis presentations. Another avenue being used is tracking the achievement of goals; it provides data that can assess and track student learning.

The Importance of Data Visualization

Students can learn a lot from data visualization, such as the real-time case analysis scenario in a college. Visual perception can impact memory retention positively. Digital signage can be used for data visualization to show data supporting the subject matter of a case analysis while at the same time testing the analytical and technical skills of students. Not only does it allow them to learn on an elevated level, but it becomes a skill that’s may be essential in the business world. You can use digital signage in a business setting. Your students that are familiar with the role will transition easier to the workforce.

How Companies are Making Digital Signage Integrations Work

Probably the most current example of a company using integration with its digital signage is Wendy’s. A recently-opened Wendy’s in Brazil is utilizing their digital signage to personalize messages depending on the time of day. Integrated with a mobile app, Wendy’s also gathers information on performance and sales. This lets them fine-tune and improve the customer experience.

Digital signage can take companies to new heights. Staying current with the latest information is imperative for utilizing every advantage it offers.