Web sites, self-service can play nicely together according to Jim Kruper of Kioware. With the increasing number of devices that must be served from a website, that would seem to argue for the idea of the internet site serving as the content and interface repository. From a security and source control standpoint that makes sense (ie keep/regulate data in one place).
By Jim Kruper President of KioWare, Kiosk System Software.
31 Mar 2009
At
its simplest, self-service is any application that allows the end-user
to perform a task with minimal supervision of the application owner.
In
this context, the very first Web site was a self-service solution.
These early Web sites contained nothing more than static information,
but it enabled a consumer sitting at home to learn about a company's
products without tying up company staff. Nowadays, Web sites are
infinitely more useful, and it makes sense for companies to extend that
self-service utility to the public kiosk realm. But useful as Web sites
are as a self-service tool, Web sites and touchscreen hardware in
particular do not mix.
When
the vast majority of Web sites were developed, the user in mind was
sitting behind a standard computer complete with keyboard and mouse.
Today, perhaps, those developers are designing sites for users to view
on a cell phone. But the one user likely not on their minds is the one
standing at a kiosk, trying to interact with the site via a
touchscreen. After all, the typical user's finger is probably more than
100 times wider than the mouse pointer the Web site was designed to
use. This fact alone likely makes the Web site unusable in a
touchscreen environment.
What
should be kept in mind, however, is that the touchscreen interface is
not the only means by which kiosk users can interact with Web sites.
Touchscreens
are great for presenting uncluttered and simple interfaces that don't
require significant text input. When text input is required, a
touchscreen application must use a virtual keyboard: a graphic
representation displayed on the screen that requires a user to hunt and
peck using a single finger. This can be frustrating and slow to the
user but a reasonable compromise when the input is minimal.
But
what about uses that require significant text input, such as job
applications? If the goal is to maximize the number of applicants,
using a touchscreen should be avoided. The caveat stands regardless of
whether the form is Web-based.
Pairing web and kiosk
Most
obviously, self-service devices and Web sites work well together when
the content of the Web site already is aligned with the goals of the
self-service project. Fitting examples include: product-ordering retail
kiosks that allow users to order a product not in stock, gift registry
kiosks, HR kiosks that use the company's existing 401k and benefits
applications, web-banking kiosks and informational kiosks in tourist
spots, churches, college campuses and company lobbies.
Fortunately,
there are many kiosk software products that enable browser-based
content to be efficiently deployed to a self-service kiosk. Kiosk
software titles can provide many features, but the most important ones
are those that replace the existing browser software, lock down the PC,
control where a user can browse, provide alternative navigation
toolbars, manage the user's session to remove any trace of users when
they leave, and interface with specialized kiosk hardware.
There are many reasons to go the software route instead of considering other, more extreme measures.
CONTENT.
Why re-invent the wheel if the content already exists? Especially now,
ROI is paramount in determining project viability. Rewriting the
display layer of an existing application can cripple the ROI of the
project. A visitor center kiosk is a good example. The local tourism
bureau likely already has an existing Web site with links to all the
local attractions. Why recreate that content and pay for it anew?
INTERFACES.
Why confuse the user with a different interface? For a financial
institution with online banking that their clients regularly use from
home, a second user interface designed for a self-service kiosk will
only confuse those clients and force them to learn two different
interfaces that perform the same functions.
OPERATIONS.
Maintaining a second user interface can cause operational problems.
Often the organization responsible for the company's Web site is not
the same organization responsible for the self-service kiosk. With two
interfaces, the business logic and Web site interface will be owned by
the Web site organization. And they may not notify the kiosk
organization when the business logic changes, thus breaking the
self-service interface. Irate kiosk customers may be the first
indication of the problem.
THIRD
PARTIES. Applications from outside vendors can prevent the development
of an alternate self-service user interface. HR self-service
applications are a perfect example. Most companies deploy a third party
HR solution, which they don't control, so they are severely limited in
how the user interface can be modified.
There
is a middle way between the issues above and the extreme of forgoing
the application of Web content to a self-service device. Kiosk software
provides a solution that is convenient for the deployer, friendly to
ROI and comparatively fast to put to use.