Upscale outdoor shopping malls seem to be popping upeverywhere in suburbia. The popular trend for deploying digital signage runs parallel with the growing number of outdoor retail outlets.

From wayfinding to advertisements, digital signage plays a major role at outdoor malls. Celia Anderson, in her article for Digital Signage Today, describes how digital is influential, “Sixty-three percent of people report that digital signage catches their attention. This percentage is significantly higher than TV, Internet and billboard advertising. Retailers are choosing digital signage due to its low cost and flexibility, but high impact is the key advantage.”

A big decision when planning an outdoor digital signage project is to determine if the environmental LCD enclosure or kiosk should include a touchscreen. The answer is not as easy as one would think. Some retailers may actually need a combination of non-touch and interactive touchscreen directories.

Dayparting is a vital key to a successful drive-thru!

Because many restaurants serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even late night meals, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) need to change out their static menus multiple times a day (unless you are McDonald’s, who now offers all-day breakfast). Dayparting is one essential key to successfully selling in the drive-thru. The fundamentals are not too far off from creating an effective content strategy. Richard Slawsky, explains it best in his article for Digital Signage Today, “Instead of tired-looking static boards that crack and fade over time, digital menu boards allow operators to combine product offerings with full-motion video, easily changing dayparts, updating prices remotely and seamlessly adding or removing menu items.” With digital, changing the menu or message based on the time of day is simple, but a very important part of the content strategy.

Electrical enclosures, also known as junction enclosures, are often chosen for their multi-purpose use for indoor and outdoor applications.

There are a variety of electrical enclosures, available on the market, ranging in many sizes and configurations. When researching the various options, it can quickly become overwhelming. However, enclosing electrical and electronic controls, instrumentation, components, and associated wiring does not need to be challenging. There are a few items that should be evaluated before making a concrete decision.                                       

Considering an outdoor digital deployment in the New Year?

As prices slowly fall on enclosures, LCDs and content, more and more Quick Service Restaurant’s (QSR) are deciding that it is finally time to “go digital” both indoors and out. As Ben Sillitoe discussed in Essential Retail, “Research group IHS released a study in the summer, which predicted that digital signage revenue is set to grow by 10% year [to] year in 2015 and a further 7% in 2016. The organization's Digital Signage Industry Market Tracker indicated that, as the total cost of the technology, continues to decrease each year, expanded deployment is becoming more feasible for a variety of industry sectors.” Starbucks is a great example of a company that will be getting into the game… in a big way! The coffee giant plans on adding 2,400 outdoor digital menu boards in the next year.

With already proven indoor digital signage at many QSRs (McDonald’s, Wendy's, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Taco Bell) across America, outdoor signage does not have to be a tremendous mountain to climb. In fact, some enclosure fabricators are now offering outdoor enclosures that are landscape oriented, which makes the transition from indoor to outdoor that much simpler. The content does not have to be reimagined, resized, revised, and reworked. It is already completed! Content is just one area that must be explored when planning a digital strategy. What are the five most important aspects of digital to consider from the very beginning?

Dust-free, dry and spotless production areas are not possible when working in a dirty, harsh industrial environment.

Equipment will get dirty during the manufacturing process and it is, more than likely, required to be cleaned on a daily or weekly basis. It is simply unavoidable. It is imperative to use large format LCDs on the factory floor for everything from inventory to process control to employee scheduling. How can everything exist in harmony?

Numerous options exist for differing environments and sizes of LCDs, but which one is the right choice?

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin

As long as the proper planning is executed from day one, finding the best computer enclosure does not have to be overwhelming. Taking the time for adequate research can - and will - pay off in the long run. Keep in mind: not every enclosure company has the same product for the same price. Various comparisons should be made between the products. One company’s spotlight product may be priced low comparatively speaking, but could have unknown fatal flaws, which could require additional time and cash if the product fails to operate correctly. What needs to be done to find the perfect solution?

America has quite the love affair with quickly grabbing breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon drinks/snacks and fourth meal at the drive-thru.

In fact, it is estimated that 60-70% (some chains claim 85%) of all Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) business comes directly through the convenient drive-thru. That is over two-thirds of all quick service restaurant sales! According to QSR Magazine, “Visits to quick-service drive-thru’s were up 2 percent to 12.4 billion in 2014, according to research from The NPD Group, with drive thru representing a larger share of business than either carry-out or dine-in.” Precisely why QSRs should constantly be spending time and money improving the overall drive-thru experience. 

Do not overlook cooling! 

Many system integrators tend to load up computer enclosures with various electronics, but fail to consider the abundance of heat that is produced - by each unit - in a sealed enclosure.

Finding a good balance between maximizing production and increasing efficiencies with electrical equipment can often be a tough task. When configuring how much equipment can be housed inside an enclosure, taking the approach of “more is better” is not always the best idea. If not properly managed, increased loads of electrical apparatuses -- plus the amount of heat produced -- can have damaging effects on the reliability of equipment.

As technologies continue to advance, outdoor digital menu boards have turned out to be far less expensive to deploy and maintain over time.

They are more economical than ever before and quite attractive for Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) to commit to larger roll-outs in their drive-thrus. If QSRs are willing to make the leap (small or giant) to digital both indoors and out, the result could make for a more profitable bottom line.

Realizing a considerable profit is every company’s pricing strategy. With the use of static menu boards, the idea of quickly switching images or prices -- beyond promoting value meals and limited time offers -- is quite rare. Constantly printing new or revised menus, removing and replacing menu board sheets, changing various prices, and adding new decals is very time consuming and extremely expensive for any QSR. This is especially true for large United States chains with more than 10,000(!) stores, like Subway, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. The costs for devising the perfect pricing strategy will add up quickly with static signage. 

Industrial computer enclosures can come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and materials.

When beginning a thorough search for the perfect enclosure for a specific environment, it is paramount to consider what material the enclosure will be made of and how it will perform under various, unforgiving conditions. There are many design factors that arise when determining the type of enclosure material that is best for a project. It is also vital to analyze the enclosure’s NEMA rating, because it will determine if the enclosure can withstand several circumstances, such as dust, dirt, grease, oil, hose directed fluids and corrosive materials.