Over the years, technology has changed the way that we order food. There was a time, not so long ago, when everyone would order from a paper menu. As time went on, menus were replaced with boards that could be updated or changed regularly. But these were still cumbersome to use. Today, however, no matter where you go you will find countless businesses using digital menu boards instead.Not only are they great for indoor use, but they work exceptionally well outside – especially as a means of advertisement. Eye-catching animations can easily help you stand out from the competition. In order to ensure that the equipment lasts longer, these displays must be properly installed and maintained.
Indoor Vs. Outdoor
in general, all digital menu boards work the same, but there is a difference between those that are designed for indoor use, versus those that are designed for outdoors. Indoor displays do not need to becompletely sealed from the elements like those which are used outside. As a result, exterior use units are generally more expensive. The hardware, wiring, and other electronics also cost more because they too are exposed to the elements.
The Hardware
You should never use a standard television wall mounting bracket for your display. Not only are the angles incorrect, but they are not designed for the high wear and tear that commercial displays may be put through. Specialised mounting hardware is necessary to ensure that it is accessible, as well as adjustable. There are countless options to choose from depending on the particular use, such as whether the board will be indoors or outdoors.
When installing a digital menu board, it is important to remember that you also need to run wires to it. While some units can operate directly from a USB thumb drive, connecting them directly to a computer is a preferable option. After all, swapping out thumb drives can be a painstaking task – especially when the unit is mounted in a hard-to-reach location. As such, you will also need to make sure that you have hardware for mounting all of the wiring necessary to operate the display.
Software and Electronics
When these digital flatscreen displays first started appearing, many businesses simply used a standard television with a thumb drive. They would either create the menu themselves or have a graphic artist create them and place them on the thumb drive to display. This created an issue, because any time they needed to change or otherwise update any item on the menu, the USB drive would have to be removed from the port. If the display was mounted in an area that was harder to reach, this posed potential safety issues. Moreover, whenever the thumb drive was not plugged in, the display would just show a blank screen or the television’s menu rather than the restaurant’s.
Today, however, most businesses actually use software to control all of their menu boards. This means that all of the devices need to be wired into the network so that any changes can be made at a central terminal. This makes the process of changing or otherwise updating any menu item a lot easier. Using specially designed software, a business owner can simply change any menu either as a group or individually, simply by logging into a central terminal.
Speed and Efficiency
The digital menu boards that are in use today are far more effective and efficient than they were 10 years ago. They are easier to program and maintain without the need for relying on a graphic artist every single time a simple update was necessary. Once programmed and in place, updating a price, or adding the soup du jour or catch of the day, takes only a few seconds to complete. Naturally, by reducing the amount of manual labour necessary for updating a menu board, any organisation can increase its bottom line.
Many different businesses already benefit from the use of digital displays. While most commonly seen in the restaurant industry, they can prove to be beneficial to just about any industry. Service or hospitality-related businesses, for example, such as business centres, bars, oil change and automotive repair businesses, as well as places of entertainment, can reap their benefits.
