This article originally published in Self-Service World magazine, April 2007.
A Chinese proverb admonishes, "Buy the best and you will only cry once." This is sound advice when it comes to squeezing the most life out of self-service hardware. But other approaches before and after the purchase can help, too. Here are tips from the experts to help maximize the value and durability of your equipment.
1. Match the expected usage to the products selected.
All components are not created equal. For example, "A resistive touchscreen may not be the right choice in an environment where abuse is expected or where usage is very high," said Breck Barker, IBM Retail Store Solutions support manager.
Barker also said to incorporate hardware whose actual life matches the technological life. "We will select technologies that accomplish that goal," he said. "If a technology has a shorter than desired life span, we evaluate other technologies."
2. Keep an eye on the future.
Even if your crystal ball isn't working perfectly, you can infer some future upgrade possibilities for most devices and make sensible decisions as a result. Early in the design process, decide on standard shapes and sizes for each component — and aim for industry-standard sizes that aren't likely to change in a few years. This relates to everything from keyboards to motherboards to printers.
NCR's Emily Ramsland said her company has kiosks in airports and retailers that are seven years old and still going strong. That kind of lifespan calls for a modular design so that upgrades and new features don't require any significant changes to the machine.
3. Install it properly.
You might be tempted to rely on common sense when installing self-service hardware, but that is not in your best interest.
"Ensure that the product is installed according to manufacturer's recommendations," said IBM's Barker. "Allow room for air to circulate, for example, or position the products to make them easy to reach and use, as well as reduce incidental damage."
4. Watch your temperature
Frank Olea, vice president of sales and marketing for Olea Exhibits/Displays, said proper installation is one of the two biggest concerns when it comes to stretching your hardware's life; the other is proper heat management.
"Proper design and cooling techniques are crucial to longevity in a kiosk," he said. "Heat is the enemy within the kiosk."That means always keep air passages through the machine clean and unblocked; allow plenty of space around and above the machine for circulation; and periodically check that internal cooling components are functioning fully.
5. Don't be fooled by price.
We've saved the toughest for last. Nobody likes spending more money than they have to, but despite falling prices for computer hardware, your interests are best served by buying the best equipment you can afford.
"Inexpensive parts generally have a much lower duty cycle," said Craig Keefner, channel manager for KIOSK Information Systems. "If your project is going to have robust transactions, then you are doing yourself a disservice by going to cheap components. They will have more problems and result in more service and downtime, and end up costing you more within six months."
Olea points out that a single service call can cost more than the money saved by skimping on hardware. For instance, a service call to swap out a broken keyboard might be $250, he said, while buying a more durable keyboard in the first place might have cost only $100 more than a cheap one. If this happens a few times in the life of a machine — and if it happens on multiple machines — cheaping out costs a substantial amount of money.
