The branch is changing. From the square footage and employee headcount to the products themselves and how they are sold– the cadence of change has never moved with more alacrity than today. When consumer preferences shift, you need to react quickly and align solutions that can move with the pace of your business. In today’s world, moving quickly generally involves leveraging technology but, if not done carefully, it is easy to slip into a rut rather than race forward. So let’s go through a few technologies being deployed in mass these days, as well as some suggestions that will help you get the installation and implementation done right, the first time.
Digital Signage
The use of digital signage in the branch has proven itself to be one of the most effective ways to communicate a message to consumers. Today it is possible to change your message on a whim, and publish it across your branch network in minutes rather than days. This opportunity, however, comes with responsibility and a fair amount of planning. Be sure to consider the following items carefully before deploying digital signage throughout your branch network:
- What is the message to be displayed in the branch? Are you running simple messages behind the teller line or multiple messages across a coffee or technology bar as well as the teller area? Each area may require a different message based on what the consumer is doing in said area.
- Are you trying to gain visibility to passersby outside of the branch? Many institutions today are shifting the location of their branches from standalone buildings to a leased space integrated into a row of shops, or even inside other retailers (grocery etc.). If you are trying to propel your message outside of your branch’s square footage, be sure to hire a professional to help select equipment for the job. Far too many exterior window screen installations do not have the brightness required for a visible message during the day – A costly fix, but an easily avoided mistake.
- Who is going to create the content? Having a graphic designer on staff may or may not do the trick. Be sure to have a partner, either full time or on standby, that can provide you affordable custom branded content– from simple still-image files to high-end 3D animation. Nothing loses consumer attention faster than stale content.
Tablets
We get calls daily on the use of tablets in the branch. However, most people calling in don’t have a defined strategy or feature set for the tablet application. The reason this is so common is because a tablet can do so many things, and everyone in the institution wants a piece of the action: Marketing wants to push product information, Business Development wants to sign up loans on the go, and Operations wants to streamline customer service with easy access to customer information by branch personnel. All of these are good ideas, but together can create clutter when attempted via a single application. Be sure you consider the following before deploying:
- A tablet is a one-to-one conversation device. The content on a tablet is meant to create interaction with a single person. If you want to produce content to be shared on a tablet, consider how people usually perform this action– the device is typically passed along as opposed to squeezing together to see it simultaneously. On the contrary, if you want to create a group interaction, consider a one-to-many large screen device, such as a 42” touchscreen, and display content that is not specific to individuals.
- Consider multiple solutions for specific objectives. Our number one requested tablet development is marketing focused– product and service information, and list creation. When done correctly, a tablet can be a powerful marketing tool that extends beyond the branch, providing the marketing department with statistics on customer product interests as well as a means to contact them on their defined needs.
- Maybe use something other than your website. Anyone with a tablet has probably experienced the frustration of trying to access a website that is not responsive. Responsive design allows the content to adjust to the size and resolution of the device for a pleasant user experience by the consumer. If the links allowed to be accessed via the tablet are not responsive, they should be eliminated from the project. The most frequent offender is a loan application — Don’t do it!
Video Walls
This one seems easy but, more often than not, can be installed incorrectly and end up costing more than hiring a professional. The following are things to consider if you are doing a video wall project:
- Heat. Unlike the plasma screens of old, LED screens emit heat through the glass on the front of the monitor rather than through fans. And while heat emission has been reduced dramatically over the years, it still adds up when you put nine 47” flat screens together to create the ever-popular 3×3 video wall. Now imagine designing a beautiful video wall with fantastic HD content to play behind the teller line without considering heat emission. Employees won’t be very happy, and the area in front of the video wall will be deserted unless they have a reason to be near it. The good news is manufacturers like Planar have screen technology that can produce great results with very little heat. If you plan correctly, you will be fine. However, if the project is under-planned; you may be ripping out a video wall you recently installed – now, that’s expensive.
- Bezel width. The size of the bezel around the screen glass has a direct impact on cost, as well as image quality. Always purchase the smallest bezel you can afford. The larger the bezel, the more images will appear distorted across the screens.Bezels do not interact with content the same way as pane does with glass on a window. A windowpane blocks out the view between it and the adjacent piece of glass. Because it is not transparent like the glass, your eyes process the view as one. With a video wall, the content being displayed is the entire file, and bezels do not display over the view. Rather, they require the content to adjust itself to the bezel, therefore causing distortion to the content.
- Processing power. Screens made for use in a video wall have processing power built in. With the right software, this feature allows you to extend video across all of the monitors without the need of expensive video scaling equipment– ask a professional about this feature before purchasing equipment. Depending on the size of your installation, you may be able to save yourself some money without sacrificing quality.
