Temporary directional signage iseverywherenowadays.Frompromotion ofseasonalshopsales topointerstoflu shotlocations,organizationsgravitate towardthese signsas an economical way to helpconstituentsreach their destination. Butis临时directional signageaseconomical asit seems?
Consider the flu shot clinic scenario.Many healthcare systems holdannual流感疫苗的诊所acrosstheirclinic and hospitalsites.Signage is placed at eachflu shotclinic site to guide patientsto theflu shot distributionlocation.Facilitiesand marketing groupsoftenplanto save and reusethe signagethe following year.However, whenit’s time forthe next flu shot clinic,thesignageoftenends up misplaced, damaged, orout of date. That means the healthcare systemmustreprint signage.
Temporary signagecosts aren’t trivial
While localprintingcosts may vary, nationalon-demandprinting chain FedExcharges$59.99for a 24” x 36” mounted poster, the typecommonlyplacedon lightweight easels near building entrances andelevators.FedExalso charges $132for adurable36” x 48” PVC sign, which may beplacedoutdoorstopromote theflu shotclinic and guide patientsinside.
All that printing adds up.Assuming eachsiteplaces2PVC signs at outdoor entrances, for example,and4posters atjunction points inside the building,the healthcare systemcouldincurover $500 in printing costsalonefor each site.Healthcare systems often have multiple sites,soprinting costs for a healthcare system with20flu shot clinic sites couldspendover $10,000 in printing coststo support wayfinding alone for annual flushotclinics.
Poster printing and wayfinding is about more than printing costs alone—it’s also about labor costs. For example, a marketing associate may be involved in managing a temporary signage project. Assume a marketing associate spends 40 hours of time managing this project. At thenational average hourly wage for a marketing associate($29 per hour), this project would cost the healthcare system$1,160 in laborcosts, withlaborcosts likely increasing as more and more clinics come onboard.
随着n标志印刷和劳动力成本会增加umber of locations with temporary printed signage grows.
And none of these estimatesincludethetimeadministrativeemployeesand frontline staffwillspendanswering the same patient questions repeatedlybecause patientson their phones tend to ignorephysicalsigns.
Digital solutions for an analog problem
Digital campaign pushnotifications, coupled with digital wayfinding, canhelp organizationsavoid the costs associated with临时signage—as well asdeliver a betterpatientexperience.Here’s how.
First,push notificationsgreet the patient as they near the flu shot location.Aruba Beaconsareplaced at strategic locations within each flu clinic location site, such as near entrances and junction points.When a patient enters the range ofanArubaBeacon,a text notification can be pushed to their phonethrough aMeridian-powered mobile app: “Welcome!The flu clinic is onthe second floor. Want to reserve your spot now?”
Acontext-aware push notificationlike this onecan be delivered directly to a patient’s device as they near the clinic entrance.
After making their reservation in app, the patient then receivesGPS-styleturn-by-turn directionstothe location where flu shots are being administered—no need toask for directions.That’s becauseAruba Beaconsdeliveraccurate, tailored, immediatewayfinding guidancerightto the devicealreadyin the palm ofthe patient’shands.
BluDotwayfindinghelps patientsgetto their destinationwithoutstaff member assistance.
Digital push notifications and wayfinding vs. temporary printed signage
This digital approach provides several benefitsover printed signage.
- Reducesprinting costs.Updated signage no longer needs to beprinted each year. Instead, thedigitalcampaign message can be easily updatedforeachannual event.
- Helps organizations adaptquickly.If thelocation of the event changes, the digital campaign message can be quickly updated and immediately pushed.
- Avoids unnecessarymaintenance burden.Fewergoods to store and track easespressure on facilities teams. In addition,there are no additional physical items toclean and sanitize.
- Improvesuser experience.Mobile devices areubiquitous,andmanyusers appreciate the tailored and friction-free experience of an electronic alert delivered directly to them.
Mobile engagement and wayfinding: Not just for healthcare
Other kinds of organizations can usethismodel to avoid regular promotional and directional signageprintingcostsfor events like:
- Annual retailsales.Retailers oftenhold major annual events like Black Friday or Customer Appreciation sales. Instead of reprinting signageeach yearwith updated dates orcreative designs, retailers can use Aruba Beaconsand Meridian-powered appsto pushpromotional and wayfinding notifications to nearbyshoppers.
- New student orientations.Every Fall brings a newgroup of students looking to complete administrative tasks and familiarize themselves withthe campus before the start of classes.Aruba Beaconsand Meridian-powered appscan pushnotificationsdirectly tostudents’devices, deliveringa friction-freeand(potentially)personalized way towelcome and guide themon their way.
- Onsite conference wayfinding.Hotels and conference centers host a variety ofgroups and conferences with groups and locations that change daily. Whilethese establishmentsmay not engage a professional print servicefor signageeach day, there is usuallya staff member responsible for updating,desktopprinting, and postingwayfinding signs. Digital campaign notificationsenabled by Aruba Beaconscan eliminatemuch of this manual processing and result in a better experience forattendees.
Replacing manual,analogprocesses with digital communications:just one way organizations can leverage the Edge for improving efficienciesand enhancing customer experiences.Want to see more examples? Check outhowAruba ESPis helping organizations driveEdge transformation.
