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DIGITAL SIGNAGE IMPLEMENTATION – PLANNING & DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST

Project & Client Evaluation

Establish Objectives

Develop an understanding of the requirements
Desire for the end result
What, where, and how for the version of system implemented

Conduct Needs Analysis

Determine design parameters
Quantity and location of screens
Audio requirements

Conduct Site/Location Survey

Document site conditions
Determine placement
Identify installation requirements

Take Digital Photos

Used for documentation purposes of the site specific requirements
Used as a reference for design and engineering tasks

Non-Disclosure Agreement

Engagement's between a client and vendor require the exchange of proprietary information and should be protected with an NDA

Secure Content Commitment

What content is available from client, outsourced etc.
Terms for content acquisition and production

Define Financing Terms

A clear understanding between the client and vendor of how the project is going to be funded
Define the funding terms
What are the up-front engineering costs, if any?
What are the purchase terms for installation and equipment?
Software licensing and any actual costs?
Content production and acquisition costs?

Develop Pilot Scope and Proposal

Develop the details necessary to test the concepts
What sites/locations should be evaluated?
Specific work detail and tasks are outlined

Finalize Agreements/Contracts

A formal agreement concerning the expectations and deliverables

Project Initiation & Planning

Identify Project Team

Define the roles and responsibilities of each team member from the client and vendor teams
This team should embody facilities, IT, marketing, administration and senior management representing business objectives

Hold Kick-off Meeting

The formal meeting for team introductions and expectations from the client and vendor relationship
Establish the communication process between the team
Project is review
This collaboration identifies objectives, responsibilities and methods for measurement

Define Success Criteria, ROI and Pilot Metrics

Outcome needs to be identified
What are the results that are expected form pilot, i.e., uplift in sales, improved communications, more traffic is generated etc.

Identify Network/Content Distribution Requirements

Define the content distribution method
Local LAN/WAN
Dedicated broadband terrestrial or wireless
Satellite DVB or VSAT
Pricing considerations for each distribution method

Develop/Refine Project Budget

Identify and detail all costs associated with project
Internal/external labor
Hardware, Electrical, HVAC, Installation, and content distribution costs
Volume pricing if available

Secure Content Commitment

What content is available from client, outsourced, etc.
Terms for content acquisition and production

Finalize Partner Agreements

Formally define agreement regarding expectations and deliverables from the partners

Develop Project Plan

The beginning and the end
Categorize, how the project is to be executed – Phases with budget allocations
Breakdown and define the tasks required for each category of the project

Client Review and Approval

Have the expectations and deliverables been met?

Technical Design

Develop Technical Architecture

Push System, Pull System or Flex System
Delivery of content (internet, intranet, stand-alone, wireless)
System security
Display variables (Interior, exterior, flat panel, projection, LED, LCD)
System management tools
Pricing structure for content database

Select Content Management Software

Remote-player monitoring
Attribute-based scheduling
- Automates playlist creation based on parameters
- Day-parting schedules
- Internal live data feeds
Player health checks
Set distribution policies
- Bandwidth Shaping
  - Maximum usage
  - Percentage of Bandwidth utilized
- Time of day delivery to reduce network impact
Remote player management
- Capable of rebooting player
- Capable of restarting all services on player
- Capable of upgrading software components

Specify Servers & Players

Interactivity
Demographic recognition
IT network compliance
- Existing hardware alliances
  - Dell, IBM, Linux, etc.
- Existing software alliances
  - Microsoft, etc.
  - Symantec, etc.
Content creation compliance
- Existing assets - PowerPoint, MPEG, PDF
- Future assets - PowerPoint, MPEG, PDF, RSS

Display Specifications

Interior or exterior - Flat panel, projection, LED, LCD
- Inputs - VGA, DVI, S-video, RGBHV
- Audio
  - Internal amplifier
  - Line audio out for external amplifier
- Control
  - Serial
  - IR or Infrared
- Internal hard drive
  - Networkable
Interactivity
- Demographic recognition
- Holographic
- Lenticular – 3D imaging

Prepare Technical Specifications

IT
- Hardware
- Software
- Security
- Content delivery methods
Content Creation Managers
- Existing assets
- Future assets
Facilities Managers
- Display locations
- Mounting concerns
- Infrastructure
  - Power
  - Network cabling
- Administrators responsible for the system
  - Scheduling
  - Content deployment

Digital Photos and Display Overlays

Photograph display locations
Create display overlays to provide a vision for the display content

Select Suppliers/Manufacturers

Content Creation – may be internal, external or both
Content Management – may be internal, external or both
Network Partner – may be internal or external
Electrical Contractor – generally external
Audio Visual Integration – generally external

Content Development

Develop Content Plan

Utilization plan of existing assets
Creation plan for future assets

Existing content inventory

Identify and catalog all existing assets
- Type – MPEG, JPEG, etc.
- Resolution
- Orientation – landscape or portrait
- Genre
- With or without audio

Video/Audio content development

Identify needed assets
- Type – MPEG, JPEG, etc.
- Resolution
- Orientation – landscape or portrait
- Genre
- With or without audio

POS/Data

Interaction capture of demographics
Environmental monitoring
RFID triggering
Coupon deployment

Implementation

Pilot Project Implementation & Evaluation

Procure components
- Provide contracts for strategic partners
Installation
System Integration and Test
Train Pilot Team
- Managers are the key components
Implement Pilot
- Content Scheduling
- Collect Evaluation Data
- Complete Daily Evaluation
Refine Project Plan
Management Review

Project Rollout

Develop Rollout Approach and Schedule

End-date and Site-count
Ramp-up and run rate
Technician requirements
- Skill sets
- Locations
Site specific
- Individual site specific design
Logistics
- Procure equipment
- Equipment staging / assembly
- Shipping
- Site access coordination
Schedule
- Common constraints
  - Regional implementation
  - Site density – travel time between sites
  - Site locations – metro vs. rural
  - Hours of access
  - Blackout dates ( e.g. holidays, delivery days)
- Timeline vs. Number of technicians
  - Optimize for cost, time and quality
  - More technicians
    - More training
    - Reduced learning curve benefits
    - Less travel
  - Fewer technicians
    - Less training
    - Higher learning curve benefits
    - More travel

Develop Policies and Procedures

Establish Project Management team
Develop documentation and training materials
- Installation manual
  - Updates and version control
  - Define site signoff / completion criteria
- Training materials
- Reporting requirements
  - Web accessible
  - Real time
  - All shared or one data repository(s)
  - Digital photos
  - Issue logs with status and resolution
- Issue escalation procedure and accountabilities
- Status reports
- Communication protocols

Train Location People

In-person
Web-based
Manual

Installation & Testing

Pilot the Rollout plan to confirm processes and procedures
Refine training and procedures as needed

Rollout

Expand training to all technicians
Ramp-up
- Start slow to accommodate adjustments
Full run-rate
Clean-up
- All issues closed
- Unexpected site parameters

Refine

Post Implementation Review process (PIR)

Continued Development

Lessons learned