Digital menu boards in the Cloud, now what does that mean? In a post made by Doug Bannister on networldalliance.com he describes it as such:
Cloud computing is a term used to describe a wide variety of online services which provide remote, scalable computing resources that are accessible by means of the Internet rather than present on a local computer or network.
This is a tale of a company (we’ll call them “Truffys”) looking for the ideal digital menu board solution. Truffys however, is not a start-up, they are not building out, they aren’t renovating and certainly aren’t in the business planning stages. They are a well-established staple in their community and have been so for over 25 years. Their renovation took place three years ago. With electricians and contractors crawling around their place for a month plus, you’d think it would have been a good idea to go digital back then. It turns out, they thought it was a good idea too, which is why they did install digital menu boards. You see, Truffys is now looking for the ideal digital menu board solution because they picked the wrong one 3 years ago and it has become the bane of their existence.
When Origin began to look to add digital menu boards to our product line, we were in the same situation I’m sure many of you find yourself in. We knew what we wanted, but the industry had become so saturated, where were we to start? A similar predicament you may be facing – where to even begin your digital menu board search. I’m sure you’ve read our blogs about ‘pitfall this’ and ‘shortcoming that’ when it comes to digital signage. Trust me, we’ve spent hours doing the research about which solution works best in what situation. Since we’ve already done the research, there’s no need for you to waste your time re-researching what we’ve already found.
Six years ago, one of the current owners of Origin Displays was chosen to work directly with the President of his previous company to add digital menu boards to the core product line. The President had already selected the software platform to build from. Software was the premier choice for networked digital signage – it was the best on the market. It took 3 days of networking and system management training and another 2 days of design and scheduling/content management training to get a handle on the system.
As of late digital signage companies have been popping up everywhere you turn, each one with unique capabilities. With the plethora of options, it can be very difficult to make a decision about which company to go with. But, you should always keep in mind – you get what you pay for! It really depends on what you are looking for, but you can’t expect to get something for nothing. On your search for the perfect digital menu boards there are multiple things to consider:
There is no question that the world we live in is a lot different than even 5 years ago. The freewheeling, big spending days are long gone. Add to that, resources are more available than ever so that, when it comes to buying something, you can quickly and easily get a lot of options. Needless to say, the salesman’s idea that “they are buying me and not the product” has taken a bit of a hit. Not that this statement is entirely untrue, because the person on the opposite side of the table/phone has a lot to do with what you ultimately decide to do, but there are so many more factors to consider.
Just because you own a TV, doesn’t make you an expert on television programming. Just because you have been a football fan for years, doesn’t mean you qualify to coach your favorite team. And just because you own a restaurant, doesn’t mean you should layout, design and sometimes build your own menu boards. In all of these cases there are people with years of experience that are tasked with making decisions that will benefit their viewers, fans and clients. The problem on the menu board side is a lot of people fail to turn over the majority of this process and try to manage it all themselves.
We all know that when it comes to buying anything in life, certain people fall in to certain buckets. There are some that can afford the Mercedes, whereas some have to go the used Sedan route. The car industry doesn’t discriminate and in most cases one (car) finds another (buyer). The saying, “there is some-thing/one for everyone” rings true in this scenario and in many others in life. The same goes for menu boards, however there seems to be an issue identifying the sedan – the practical and functional solution – of the industry. Most companies go to market with their standard product line that highlights various backlit, front-lit, or non-illuminated options. What most people don’t realize is that a lot of these companies have professional looking, economical menu board systems that may be tucked in different areas of their website or catalog. Put another way, they could be found in categories such as, accessories, display fixtures, POP signs, etc.
When the search begins for your location’s menu boards there are many elements that should be previously thought about, that quite often are not. The Internet, with its bounty of information, allows folks to search, find, price and cross reference companies and their menu boards so they can make what they feel are informed decisions. I am not suggesting that this is a bad thing; in fact I encourage those I speak with to perform their due diligence because they will inevitably gain some knowledge along the way. It is what is done before all of the Googling and surfing that can be polished a little bit. By taking the following five factors in to consideration, you will be better positioned to make informed decisions that will have a greater impact on your business.
Having been involved in the menu board industry for as long as I have, you get to know the questions that are going to be asked well before they actually are. “What sizes do you have? Do you do the design work? How long will it take for me to get the menu boards? (and obviously) How much do they cost?” However, the question that I want to address and what comes up more often than not is, “Do your menu boards have strips and digits?” The way in which this question gets asked differs from time to time but the underlying reason is always the same, they want to know if they will be able to change their menu board items and pricing whenever they want. However, is this the best way to go about it? Would using full graphics make more sense? There are compelling arguments to each side.
