modular kiosks
Modular kiosk can provide a winning combination of reliability,
affordability and help to avoid obsolescence
By Olea Kiosks Inc – www.olea.com
One question many potential kiosk
deployers ask is whether they should
invest in a custom unit uniquely designed
and manufactured for them, or start with
a modular kiosk? A modular kiosk is a
standard, module-based product out of
the manufacturer’s catalogue that can be
tweaked based on the options list.
The appeal of custom
The appeal of custom is understandably
strong for many companies. By working
with a kiosk provider’s design and
engineering staff, executives can request
and receive virtually any look and feel.
Moreover, they can order from a range
of options for functionality without
concern as to whether a standard cabinet
can accommodate them. Biometrics?
No problem. Height adjustment? Can
do. Want to include special sanitising
technology? Again, this too is possible.
That kind of approach may be exactly
what some projects require, and those
projects are among the favourites for
designers and engineers in any kind
of manufacturing firm. In reality only a
minority of projects truly require a custom
approach. Most can succeed well when
a deployer talks to a representative,
describes the needs and makes
decisions on how best to configure the
recommended kiosk.
Essence of modular
We’re surrounded by modular products
– that is, single products that comprise
distinct, pre-assembled components.
The vehicle you drive may have rolled off
one assembly line, but preceding it were
dozens more where each of the vehicle’s
modular components were built. The
seats may have been constructed in one
city, dashboards and transmissions in
another. At the climactic event, all of them
are ready in the right place at the right
time to be bolted onto the car exactly
where they need to be. Henry Ford gets
credit for mass assembly, but there could
be no mass assembly without modularity.
And chances are, it wouldn’t be because
there was anything wrong with the kiosk,
it would be because they brought a
Ferrari to a monster truck rally.
It can take up to 12 weeks in a
typical custom project to meet with the
client stakeholders, develop concept
drawings, refine them, create engineering
drawings and build a prototype. Then, the
prototype must be tested and undergo
any necessary modifications before the
unit is ready for mass production. With
modular kiosks, a manufacturer needs
only the time it takes, if any, to acquire
any out of stock components before it
can begin building. That state of readiness
potentially takes lead time down to a
couple of weeks.
Keep maintenance in mind
Although a kiosk manufacturer typically
tries to consider every circumstance that
may occur, some things just can’t be
predicted. Still, designing a kiosk with an
eye to modularity can help to avoid costly
surprises. Modular design also includes
planning for any maintenance that may
be needed.
Consider a case for example, where
a monitor fails on a seven-year-old kiosk
that is otherwise functioning perfectly.
Chances are that particular model of
monitor will no longer be available,
but a flexible design will allow for quick
replacement with a current model. So
rather than having to scrap an otherwise
perfectly good kiosk with a new one, you
simply replace it with an equivalent model
(module).
Sometimes working with a client to
help them get the best return on their
investment includes telling that client
their ideas for a kiosk won’t accomplish
their goals and they’d be better off with a
simpler, more realistic design. Those are
the times where it may be best for a kiosk
manufacturer to be honest with a client,
even if it works against their own short-
term interests.
Hybrid approach
Even if a kiosk deployer chooses to
go with a custom design instead of a
vendor’s standard offerings, it pays to
keep modularity in mind to accommodate
changing needs. For example, a deployer
might want to design a kiosk to accept bill
payments but will omit a receipt printer to
save money.
A modular design would allow for
the easy addition of a printer with a
minimum of effort if they change their
mind at a later date. Alternatively,
regulatory changes might call for changes
in peripherals by a certain date, but the
deployer wants to get their network
deployed now and make those additional
changes later.
Many kiosk manufacturers offer
brackets and add-on kits to accommodate
these types of changes. And sometimes
the peripheral that needs to be added
doesn’t fit with the existing kiosk design,
but the deployer wants to avoid having to
replace the entire unit. That’s where the
talent of a manufacturer’s design team
can shine.
In the case of a thin kiosk for example,
replacing a flat access door with a ‘bubble’
door may allow for the incorporation of
an additional component without having
to replace the enclosure. Designing that
door with a lift-off hinge allows for a quick
swap. Or suppose a deployer wants to
add a second digital screen to a project at
a minimum of cost. A freestanding mount
to support that can be added to the
project with a minimum of disruption. n
KIOSK solutions 29