KIOSKS: Improving e-Government and Bridging the Digital Divide
Government kiosks symbolize the best of "e-government." Using kiosk technology, the government is bringing its information and services to citizens where they are, when they want it, in ways that make sense to them.
What is a kiosk?
Kiosks are defined as freestanding, interactive multimedia systems used to provide information or enable transactions. A kiosk includes a computer display screen, and differs from a standard PC in that it is created for a specific purpose and is designed for public usage. Kiosk solutions are often located in high-traffic areas and must allow for customer data input via an input device such as a touch screen or keyboard.
Key features of kiosks include:
- An enclosure with components such as a touch screen, PC, communication device, audio amplifier and speakers, and industrial keyboard and trackball;
- An interactive experience for the kiosk user; and
- The capacity for full self-service without the assistance of an organization’s employee.
There are two different types of kiosk solutions:
Transactional kiosks: kiosks employed to enable the transaction of business at the point-of-sale or point-of-transaction. Any kiosk that accepts some form of payment is included in this segment. These kiosks are typically employed to generate revenue most often by improving traffic flow and customer service.
Informational kiosks: kiosks employed to provide information to end user customers. These kiosks are typically not used for revenue generation and do not accept payments. These kiosks provide a value-add service that improves customer service, brand awareness, and operational efficiency.
Benefits to Citizens
The very nature of kiosks compels them to meet specific citizen expectations:
- Speed: Kiosks give citizens proactive confidence. Everyone has experienced the lengthy wait in a government office. Kiosks remove all that unnecessary wait time.
- Convenience: Citizens don't need to be computer savvy, because kiosks don't require any particular training to use. Kiosks can be strategically placed in locations where citizens who do not have access to the internet will be able to access kiosks, and therefore, city services.
- Communication: Whether the cause is a language barrier or the din in the building, kiosks can't misunderstand a command. This enhances the citizen’s experience because they never feel the frustration of not being able to communicate their needs.
- Precision: The citizen completes the exact task he or she wanted to complete; there’s no chance of having to return on another day due to wait times or a shortened staff.
Benefits to Government Kiosk Owners
- Productivity: Multiple kiosks can complete transactions simultaneously, so more revenue can be generated in a shorter amount of time.
- Ease in hiring: In light of budge restraints, kiosks reduce the need for additional staff.
- Streamline Resources: Use kiosks as a tool to improve external service and create a more efficient internal workflow.
- Rate of Return (ROI): A typical ROI calculation is fairly simple: Ordering man-hours-saved (described in dollars per month), plus increase in sales (described in dollars per month), divided by cost of system equals the number of months to break even.
How can kiosks help improve the public’s perception of a government entity?
- Perception of Trust: in the entity, in the security of funds, in the payment system’s functionality.
- Perception of Accessibility: barriers to use are not too high.
- Perception of Equity and Value: that the system at a minimum provides a fair deal and offers advantages not available through face-to-face transactions, such as shortened wait time and convenience of location.
- Perception of Esteem: that by using an unattended application, customers are discriminating and intelligent.
Are there any other advantages to using kiosks?
Even if a government entity already accepts online bill payments, it still relies on staff to handle the demand for in-person credit card payments. In addition to this being time consuming and costly, it is convenient for citizens, as in-person payments are only accepted during normal business hours.
An easy-to-use bill payment kiosk application allows residents to quickly pay their taxes and tickets – eliminating the need for employee involvement. In addition to delivering cost savings and allowing employees to focus on other tasks, kiosks expand citizens' payment options.
One of the primary functions of government is to serve the public, and kiosks enhance the ability of municipal, county, state and federal agencies to deliver vital information and services to their citizens, while reducing transaction costs. Not only do kiosks bring convenience to constituents who use them, but they also ease congestion in government offices.
By having kiosks that can provide services, a government entity also lessens the need to add new personnel or office space as the population grows, while at the same time providing faster, better service to the public than ever before and in a much more convenient manner and location.