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Ready, Get Tech, Go! Incorporating Technology Into Your Brand's Store Fixtures
10 Steps to Successful Integration of a Digital Signage Network


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5 Cabling & Site Preparation
Install the satellite dish. For ceiling-mounted screens, drop poles to the brackets so that the cabling can drop down the center and place the socket connections at the tops of the poles. For the arms of top-shelf fixtures and off the spines, place the socket on the gondola divider in the middle. All the cables can then be terminated at the bottom of the poles so that the screens can be connected easily. Leave plenty of flex cord at the end to satisfy the second-fix commissioning stage. Install the cabinets and the racks in the back areas, label the cabling by screen location and zone configuration, and pull it through trunk or cable tray to the back location. Consider local management regarding storage requirements. Inform the staff in the local store about the system.

6 Installation of Back-Office & Infrastructure
Install the back-office equipment first, such as the video hub equipment. Install the store hardware. Install the content management that will help ensure the success of the signage network.

7 Installation of Front of Store & Screens/Audio
In the public areas, remove any temporary signage and hang the screens on the ends of the brackets throughout the sales floor. De-clutter the environment, but leave category, wayfinding, and shelf pricing signage.

8 Test & Commission
To prevent the airing of content before the buildout is complete, test the system with a pilot phase. A "coming soon" message can be aired if necessary. Depending on the number of channels planned, you might only want screen ratios such as color and picture definition with your first test, but the testing process also must consider and address how areas will be restocked and how the equipment might have inadvertently affected shelf stocking.

9 Handover to Client
In-store technical or maintenance personnel must be trained to perform maintenance checks on the signage network so that it becomes part of the store's operating routine. These personnel can perform troubleshooting procedures such as rebooting after power failures. Determine the audio settings by trading hour. With higher background noise on weekends than weekdays and afternoons than early mornings, the audio must be managed for optimum effect. Project snags must be addressed before the network is handed over to the retailer. Final commissioning will show how the screens work and have been linked together.

10 Network Launch
Switch the system on in the early morning. Perform final checks on the live playlist in each zone. Once it is operational, the content delivery process is vital. Credibility will plummet if the screens go blank. Technical elements such as bandwidth and local storage capacity must be adequate to enable the network to be scaled in the future. For content delivery, the information return path will report minor faults back to the store. The right architecture will minimize faults and downtime for a high level of availability.

 


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