Half of Canadian organizations have increased investment in kiosk technology since 2019
New proprietary research from SCI Group Inc. (SCI) and Signifi Solutions Inc. (Signifi) reveals that investment in self-service technologies is exploding as Canadian businesses seek safe distancing, touchless transactions and a simple, intuitive user experience for employees and customers during the pandemic. Half of respondents say their organization increased investments in kiosk technology prior to the pandemic, with three-in-ten saying their investment level has increased by more than 15 per cent since 2019.
As part of this research, SCI and Signifi partnered with Angus Reid to explore the actual and planned investments in kiosk technology among Canadian organizations, in several sectors, to identify key trends. It uncovered three significant insights:
1) the pandemic propelled short-term kiosk investment;
2) a focus on digital transformation will continue to drive long-term investment;
3) user satisfaction is the primary motivator for investing in kiosks, which include self-checkout terminals, interactive maps, vending machines and employee check-in devices.
Short-term Kiosk Investment Driven by the Pandemic
The pandemic has been a clear force behind investments in self-service technology. Among those who say their investment has increased in the past 12 months, 61% identified the pandemic as a significant or moderate factor in their decision. For the healthcare sector, the primary application of kiosk technologies was for check-in purposes to help improve customer wait times.
"The pandemic drove more people to use kiosks, which increased their comfort level with the technology and is leading to even better user-centric design for the next generation of devices," said Peter Collier, Vice President, Technology, SCI Group. "We expect that increasing user comfort with kiosks and ongoing design improvements by kiosk manufacturers will continue to drive adoption."
Digital Transformation Driving Long-Term Investment
While the pandemic played a key role in increased interest and investment in the self-service space, there are no signs of this growth slowing down. Nearly half of Canadian businesses are already deploying self-service technologies, and another third plan to deploy kiosks or some form of self-service technology in the next 12 months.
Canadian businesses are including kiosk technology as part of their digital transformation strategies, with 77% of organizations stating kiosk technology to be important to their business in the next five years.
"There's a new appetite for automation and kiosk technologies, part of which may be attributed to the shift in user habits that has stemmed from the pandemic," says Jamie McDowell, Vice President of Marketing at Signifi Solutions. "More and more Canadian consumers and employees seem to appreciate the simplicity and interactivity provided by kiosk technologies. Organizations are seeing this shift and including kiosk technology in their digital transformation plans."
User Experience Fueling Kiosk Investment
Interestingly, the key business drivers for investing in kiosks are all about people, at least in the short term. According to the research, the primary motivator for businesses when investing in self-service technologies is customer and employee satisfaction, with 63 per cent of businesses identifying this as a top driver. This was particularly noted in the retail industry, where 90% of respondents said one of the main benefits they're seeking from kiosks/self-technology is better customer flow.
"This research shows that organizations are looking for more than efficiency; they want to reduce customer wait times and improve the flow of people through stores and workplaces. Many are also looking to expand beyond transactional experiences to make kiosks part of an omnichannel infrastructure," Collier says. "This also marks an important step forward for self-service technologies underscoring the shift away from thinking of kiosks as simply a cost and efficiency play - though both remain important drivers for buyers."
To learn more about the adoption of kiosk technology in Canada, changes in spending, drivers and key outcomes of investment, The 2021 Canadian Kiosk Market Report is available here: http://signifi-1.hs-sites.com/the-2021-canadian-kiosk-market-report
Research Methodology
This research was conducted on the online Angus Reid Forum among 102 business decision-makers for purchasing kiosks/self-service technology, including those whose company/organization or clients have already invested in such technology and those with plans to invest in the next 12 months. The sample includes professionals in the following industries: manufacturing, retail, transportation, healthcare, management consulting, property management and public sector fields.
For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/-9.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The research was conducted in English and French between May 27 and May 31, 2021.
About SCI Group
SCI is one of Canada's leading providers of strategic supply chain solutions that go beyond traditional logistics services. With decades of experience in the technology industry, our experts can help build an end-to-end supply chain solution for your self-service technologies. From ATM installations to POS terminal repairs, we help leading Canadian brands delight customers and stay agile.
Having reliable technology is key to customer experience and employee productivity. Our certified technicians will help you maximize uptime with 24/7 support and repair services. Furthermore, our coast-to-coast warehousing, transportation and parts locations ensures you remain responsive to your business needs no matter the time of day.
Trust our experts to support your kiosk needs with full project management in logistics, compliance, security, maintenance, installation and parts management. Connect with our experienced team to plan for today's needs and tomorrow's opportunities. As your trusted supply chain partner, we'll make you even better.
About Signifi Solutions Inc.
Signifi Solutions is a leader in delivering smart vending, self-serve kiosks, and automated retail solutions globally. Founded in 2005, Signifi designs, engineers, and develops robotic based dispensing kiosks, smart lockers and loss prevention hardware customized for any application. We are steeped in continuous innovation and marketplace collaboration to bring you the most innovative and technologically advanced smart vending hardware and software available.
Signifi's VISION platform management tool and robust API library give our clients more time to focus on what matters most. VISION manages every aspect of our kiosks and lockers through an intuitive web interface. Our customers can change prices, user rights, schedule content updates and even remotely access kiosks to support local staff. VISION uses advanced AI techniques and machine learning technology to monitor every aspect of traffic and user input. The powerful analytics tools help optimize operations, merchandising, and forecast sales.
SOURCE SCI Group Inc.
For further information: Media Contact: Hayley Suchanek, Kaiser & Partners, Hayley.Suchanek@kaiserpartners.com, 289-681-2477
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