To Touch or Not to Touch

Acceptance of a new system depends on whether the employees who will be using the system, have had any input into it. It depends on how you introduce it and whether or not you take the time to train staff on how to use it.

The touch screen kiosks that I've setup before have been as a touch screen directory (where do I go from here type of maps). They work well for people that are aware of them -- which menas that the kiosks for your purpose needs to be in plain sight... where staff will not forget to use it if they wish to work OT.

You should be able to swap mouse and keyboard if so desired, but you need to take that question to your vendor (We locked the keyboard, mouse and cpu in a cabinet below the unit).

My observation is that the touch screens are easier and faster for those who are not computer savvy and/or familiar with the system. They are appearing more and more in places to interact with customers and the like. They are being used in airports for checking in passengers, restaurants to place orders, and grocery stores for quick and easy check out.

This is just opinion, since I’ve never implemented a touch screen system, but it is based on observation and from the perspective of a user who would like to quickly get through something like that.

? With those systems, a person can be more easily “guided” to the next step instead of trying to figure out what to do next.

? With a keyboard and mouse a person might be more prone to “tinker”, so to speak, and attempt to go someplace he/she is not really authorized to go.

? No keyboard and/or mouse to get grungy and/or damaged.

? Less space required.

Look at these links for some more “food for thought”.

Designing a Touch Screen Kiosk for Older Adults: A Case Study:

http://wsupsy.psy.twsu.edu/surl/usabilitynews/3W/kiosk.htm

Touch Screen Introduction to HTML-Kit:

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/help/screen.html

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http://www.touchcontrols.com/tci/touch_info.htm

REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URLs.

Good luck

No and No and No and No mouse or kybd. There are touch bezels out there that will give you a touch screen scenario. The main objection to a touch screen is up front COST. My bet is this vendor does not have much experience with just how abusive customers can be. We went thru this at a large car company. We designed and manufactured a gismo that the mechanics used to trouble shoot the car. You should have seen what they did to the prototypes that had things which they could pull. DON’T DO IT!!!! Believe me things will be better without something upon which the customer can take her/his frustration.

mike

Yes Touch!

I worked with a team that did employee self service kiosks for thousands of non computer literate users with Kiosks located on manufacturing floor space etc.

First off you should really limit the number of times any data is keyed in-by presenting as many yes/no choices, or pick lists as possible. Its definately easier for computer illiterates to touch their way through choices rather than type.

On screen keyboards for the times when they must key data work fine. Make the keys big and remember the challenge of height(if you have a 7' person calibrate on touch,, it will make a big difference in the error rate for a 5 foot person).

If you can eliminate the external keyboards, do it. They are failure prone, abuse magnets.

James

In my mind it comes down to usability.

If the software has been / can be written such that the entire transaction can be accomplished by an employee pushing a series of buttons on the screen, I would go solely with a touch-screen.

If the application requires that any information be typed, obviously a keyboard/mouse combination would be required.

What are the vendors reasons behind their recommendation? It may be an issue of using an off-the-shelf software application requiring keyboard/mouse usage vs. needing a specially developed application to use a touch-screen. I would ask.

Touch screens are intuitive, as long as the interface is made appropriately. Leaving a mouse and keyboard out is asking for trouble. mice get "lost" and keys can pop-off. If your environment is not a typical "office" then you have to consider cleanliness as well. Screens cleanup a lot easier than do keyboards and mice.

Wear and tear will be less of an issue on touch screens as well.

Keep it simple. Touch screens are simple. Ask the vendor what their objections are. It's easy for all of us outsiders to say yea or nay without any real insight into the environment. If the vendor's reasoning is valid, consider it.

Just my 2?...

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