Self-service kiosk machines play an important role in multiple industries like healthcare, hospitality, government, banking, and many more. These machines allow users to perform transactions or purchases in a self-service manner without any human intervention.
Self-service machines streamline the day-to-day operations, enhance customer experience, and reduce operational expenses through self-service kiosk automation.
The benefits are evident, but when it comes to the implementation part, understanding the differences between outdoor and indoor kiosks is critical.
Selecting an outdoor or indoor machine depends on multiple factors like business goals, target audience, and location of installation. Each kiosk type has its benefits, special features, purpose, and design considerations.
This blog offers the relevance of both the Outdoor and indoor kiosk machines, clearly pointing out their differences with the help of a table. Kindly read on…..
Outdoor self-service kiosk machines—Features and relevance
Outdoor Kiosks – Outdoor kiosks are interactive self-service terminals that are deployed in outdoor environments or public places. Hence, they are subject to environmental factors like rain, sunlight, snow, humidity etc.
· 24/7 accessibility—As they are installed in outdoor environments, outdoor kiosk machines are accessible for users 24/7. This helps users access the services outside of normal business hours.
· Improved market reach—the outdoor kiosk machine is visible to a large cross-section of society when it is deployed in public places. You can easily locate one in malls, drive-thrus, smart cities, and other high-footfall regions. Hence, they have a better market or customer reach.
· Durable, weather-resistant components—Outdoor machines are made of highly durable, weather-resistant materials that offer protection from rain, sunlight, winds, splashes of water, and even vandalism.
· Cost of deployment on the higher side—The use of weather-resistant materials like IP65-rated steel enclosures, temperature control devices results in a higher cost of deployment.
· Diverse applications—Outdoor machines are widely used for ticketing, outdoor food ordering in QSRs, parking management, bill payment, etc. Smart cities rely on outdoor interactive terminals to offer various citizen-centric services.
Outdoor machines work best for those industries that require maximum visibility and accessibility.
Example: the navigation kiosk or information kiosk deployed in parks or by the side of the road is a typical example of an outdoor kiosk machine.
Indoor self-service kiosk machines—Features and relevance
Indoor Kiosks – Indoor kiosks are usually installed in controlled or protected environments, and hence, they are not exposed to direct environmental impact. You can easily spot these machines installed at major airports, hospitals, retail stores, etc.
· Improved UX—Indoor kiosk machines come with sleek, attractive designs with highly interactive interfaces to facilitate maximum customer engagement.
· Less kiosk maintenance—Compared to outdoor kiosk machines, indoor machines have less maintenance. As indoor machines are installed in indoor environments, they do not require weather-resistant materials or additional temperature control devices.
· Cost of deployment on the lower side—No or less use of high-cost weather-resistant materials combined with reduced use of temperature control devices makes the deployment cost less compared to the outdoor counterparts.
· Target customer interactions—Allows for more targeted customer interactions as they are deployed in specific indoor environments like airports, retail outlets, hospitals, etc.
· Diverse indoor applications—indoor kiosk machines are used for diverse indoor applications like retail bill payment, food-ordering, ticket issuance, hospital or hotel check-in, etc.
Differences between Outdoor and Indoor Kiosk machines
Here are those differences. Understanding the differences helps you get the best solution for your unique business requirement and facilitates better decision-making. To add on, it also helps service providers save a considerable amount of money in kiosk deployment.
| Feature | Outdoor Kiosk | Indoor Kiosk |
| Location | Installed in open areas or public places for 24/7 access. | Installed in the interiors of buildings or controlled environments. |
| Temperature Control | Equipped with temperature control systems to operate in extreme weather conditions. | Relies on indoor temperature control. |
| Protection from the weather | Manufactured to protect from harsh, intense weather conditions | Does not offer protection from harsh weather. |
| Durability | Made of highly durable, weather-resistant, IP-65-rated material. | Gives importance to aesthetic appeal and ergonomics. No IP-65 protection. |
| Accessibility | Outdoor machines are accessible 24/7. | Depends on the operating hours of the indoor facility. |
| Screen Brightness | Comes with a high-brightness screen for maximum visibility in sunlight. | Brightness is suitable only for indoor lighting. |
| Applications | Smart city, bill payment, drive-thru, navigation. | Malls, airports, hospitals, and other indoor locations. |
Outdoor or Indoor Kiosk Machine—Which One to Choose?
When it comes to choosing the kiosk type for your business, go through the points mentioned below and check whether they are applicable to our business.
1. Target audience—Outdoor kiosks attract pedestrian traffic in the public and vehicle drivers, as in the case of QSR drive-thru kiosks. Indoor kiosks attract people who visit a specific facility or location. Hence, in the case of indoor kiosks, the target audience becomes more filtered.
2. Deployment cost—Due to the weather-resistant design and durable enclosure, the upfront cost of an outdoor kiosk is on the higher side compared to the indoor machines. Therefore, if you are budget-conscious and your business thrives in indoor locations, go for an indoor setup.
3. Extreme weather conditions – if you are planning to deploy an outdoor machine, the kiosk machine should satisfy industry standards like an IP65 rating for water or dust ingress.
4. Operational hours—planning to offer after-hours services, the feasible option is to go for an outdoor machine.
Conclusion
Both the outdoor and indoor self-service kiosks have their own roles and purposes in today’s customer service. The outdoor machines are known for their ruggedness and weatherproof nature, while the indoor kiosks excel in ergonomics, compactness, and aesthetics.
Understanding their purpose and differences will surely help you take better deployment decisions, saving both time and money.
