In what ways have you been able to exploit your existing digital signage network beyond the original business objectives to provide greater benefit than originally promised?
This week’s question is answered by members of the DSE Advisory Board
END USER COUNCIL
END USER COUNCIL

“My experience around this has more to do with utilizing the technology platform beyond what it was implemented to deliver than it does with having enhanced experiences within existing displays or signage.”
JOEL ALLARD
Senior Creative Specialist, In-Store Digital – Target
Senior Creative Specialist, In-Store Digital – Target

“In my experience, I’ve seen customers take their digital signage network to the next level in several creative ways. As mentioned in earlier DSE blog articles, a lot of my experience with digital signage falls within professional sports stadium environments as it relates to food and beverage activation.”
JESSE BREIDINGER
Senior Customer Marketing Manager – The Coca-Cola Company
Senior Customer Marketing Manager – The Coca-Cola Company

“Working for a financial services company means you are often faced with having to balance innovation against risk when it comes to pushing boundaries. Words like ‘exploit’ usually cause heart palpitations whether talking about digital signage, or any member-facing channel.”
MATTHEW BROWN
Manager, Digital Experience – Servus Credit Union Ltd.
Manager, Digital Experience – Servus Credit Union Ltd.

“Our initial plan for digital signage was to reach the non-wired workforce – factory workers who do not have access to computers. The only way these employees were able to learn about what was going on in the company was by reading printed newsletters that were placed in area break rooms.”
PENNY CARTER
Digital Signage Lead – Lockheed Martin
Digital Signage Lead – Lockheed Martin

“Beyond the normal display of information, we have incorporated real-time integration with back-end systems to greatly reduce the overhead time necessary to perform content updates. In order to accurately display availability for inventory controlled shows, we have integrated our CMS with our reservations system…”
LEN DUDIS
Corporate Vice President, IT – SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Corporate Vice President, IT – SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

“Our digital signage system was originally approved as a way to reduce clutter in our nursing break rooms within the various units of our hospital. While we knew this was a driving force, we never dreamed how much we would be able to roll into the system.”
KIM DWYER
Corporate Communications Senior Account Manager – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Corporate Communications Senior Account Manager – Nationwide Children’s Hospital

“In our case, we didn’t necessarily plan to showcase the work our crews perform to improve the reliability of the subway network to any great extent. As fate would have it, the roll out of our “On-The-Go Travel Station” kiosk network began after super storm Sandy.”
PAUL FLEURANGES
Vice President, Corporate Communications – New York City Transit Authority
Vice President, Corporate Communications – New York City Transit Authority

“The original use of our digital signage network was geared toward wayfinding. We would generate content that utilized our single monitors at full-screen. After procuring new software, we were able to utilize specific sections of the screen for wayfinding…”
MARK GEIGER
Associate Director, Marketing & Business Development – Georgia World Congress Center
Associate Director, Marketing & Business Development – Georgia World Congress Center

“At the University of Michigan, digital signage was initially implemented to provide information and wayfinding to the UM Community, but with the main goal of having a signage network that could interact with the Emergency Alert Notifications from the Department of Public Safety and Security.”
AMANDA GRABOWSKI
Business Systems Analyst – University of Michigan
Business Systems Analyst – University of Michigan

“At the University of Illinois, our approach to digital signage has been to develop the offering as a campus-level IT service and provide it to departments at a highly discounted rate. In 2008, our unit became involved with the construction of two new campus buildings.”
THOMAS KUNKA
Senior Application Specialist, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Senior Application Specialist, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

“We began building our digital signage network with multiple business objectives in mind. We knew it would be versatile enough to improve efficiency in many of our business units, improve the sales environment and inform customers. Even with that start, there have been opportunities that we did not foresee.”
CHUCK LAMPE
Digital Signage Manager, Creative Services – Wells Fargo
Digital Signage Manager, Creative Services – Wells Fargo

“I think everyone goes into their initial digital signage projects knowing their value estimates will be pretty far off. You honestly don’t know what you don’t know. So, in which ways do you find additional benefit?”
FRANK McGUINNESS
Integration Consultant – Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Integration Consultant – Walt Disney Parks & Resorts

“In addition to the original screen deployment placed in elevator bank areas and lobbies where there is some wait time, we were able to also share the content on a local intranet home page, which increased viewing opportunity into the thousands.”
PATRICIA MITRANO
Director of Visual Communications – Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Director of Visual Communications – Newark Beth Israel Medical Center