Use Case Background:
Goodwill Industries – In Need of In-Store Communications
Skykit is a digital signage solution that allows organizations to easily manage displays located across multiple locations, from a centralized platform. With intuitive web-based software, users can remotely add, schedule, and target visual content to ensure the right messages reach the right audiences.
Skykit offers a complete end-to-end platform with two key components:
1. Centralized Content Management
With Skykit Beam, users can easily upload images, videos, dashboards, websites, and other content from their web browser. They can also organize content into playlists (with scheduling and location-based targeting to control what displays when, and where). This allows efficient display updates across the entire network, from one place.
2. Device Management
Skykit Control software provides remote device monitoring and management capabilities. Users can view device status, push commands like reboot, and troubleshoot directly from their web browser—without needing to be on-site. This allows full control and visibility into the hardware that powers the displays.
Together, these capabilities allow retailers to easily manage both visual content and devices across all locations. With an intuitive browser-based platform requiring no specialized software or hardware, users can update displays in minutes.
Goodwill Industries International supports a network of more than 150 local Goodwill organizations, which are independently operated. Skykit is proud to partner with several independent agencies across the US.
Although each org has its own unique needs, we’ve seen two main use cases for digital signage in retail settings that are well met with Skykit’s platform.
Front of House Displays
The first use case is for customer-facing content on screens at the front of the store.
These front-of-house displays create an engaging experience for customers when they first enter, as well as showcase promotions and events.
This customer-facing content needs to be consistent across all stores in the region, with rare exceptions for flash sales or targeted content for a specific location.
Skykit’s centralized management interface makes it easy to create content loops that can play on all front-of-house displays—or target specific playlists to certain stores as needed.
For example: a standard video loop showcasing current promotions could be scheduled to play during store hours, while a flash sale playlist is pushed to just one location that needs to clear out inventory.
The content library provides all the tools needed to build a visual strategy for the customer experience:
- Upload images, videos, PDFs, web content, and more.
- Integrate live feeds of news, sports scores, weather (and more) to keep displays dynamic and timely.
- Set durations, transitions, and playback schedules.
- Bundle content into playlists and programs for front-of-house displays.
Skykit’s platform ensures the right content plays on each display automatically. The simple tagging system matches playlists to display locations.
Tags can be customized based on region, store, department, or any labels needed.
With Skykit powering the front-of-house displays, Goodwill retail locations can easily keep content fresh, targeted, and engaging for shoppers.
Plus, the centralized interface makes it simple to update messaging across the entire region while still allowing for store-specific promotions as needed.
Organizing Content | The Skykit platform provides two powerful tools for organizing content: Programs and Playlists.
Programs
Programs allow you to create loops of content that will play in a continuous cycle. This is perfect for content like company announcements, promotions, or training materials that need to be shown repeatedly to employees.
To create a program, simply add the desired content items in the order you want them to display. Programs provide the flexibility to show content full screen or split screen. For example, you could have 4 pieces of content showing simultaneously in a 2×2 split screen.
Programs are great for content that needs to be shown consistently across all locations.
Playlists
Playlists allow you to schedule when your content will play, and target it to specific displays. With playlists, you can ensure that location-specific content like sales dashboards only display at the intended location.
Playlists build on top of programs. You can add programs you’ve created to a playlist and schedule when that looped content will play. Add targeted content like dashboards and use tags to control which displays show which content.
For example, you could create one playlist that includes:
– A program with company-wide announcements that plays from 9 – 11am everyday.
– Location-specific sales dashboards tagged to only show at their respective locations.
With this powerful combination of programs and playlists, you have complete control over what content plays, where it plays, and when.
Back of House Displays
The second key use case is back-of-house displays showing internal metrics, announcements, and other employee-facing content. These displays can offer individualized dashboards and metrics for each location. This allows regional managers and employees to view live KPIs and data specific to their store—and helps monitor progress towards daily goals and budgets.
Company-wide HR and internal communications can also be shown on back-of-house displays. This ensures every location gets important updates, but still has their own personalized metrics dashboard.
One solution that sets Skykit apart is the ability for retailers like Goodwill to display real-time dashboards—such as Power BI—to visualize key data and provide up-to-the-minute metrics.
Regional organizations are able to set up separate Power BI dashboards for each location. (Ex: the dashboard for Store 1 showcases different KPIs than the one for Store 2.)
This level of customization ensures that each location gets data that is applicable and useful. It also allows the corporate office to standardize and centralize reporting across all stores.
With real-time data at their fingertips, store managers can monitor performance and make better-informed decisions. The back-of-house displays powered by Skykit provide the insights needed to drive success.
Centralized Device Management
Skykit Control is the device management component that allows easy remote management of all displays in the network. With Skykit Control, users can:
- View device status in real-time to see which displays are online or offline. This allows for quick identification of any devices that may need troubleshooting.
- Remotely reboot individual devices with the click of a button. No need to plug in a keyboard or be on-site to reboot displays.
- Push important updates and commands remotely to all devices or a targeted subset. Keep displays up-to-date without any manual effort.
- Take screenshots to visually confirm what content is currently playing on any display.
- Manage security settings to limit device control only through Skykit Control. If enabled, even physical access to hardware does not allow content or device changes.
Skykit Control enables centralized oversight and management of the entire display network from anywhere. This removes the need for costly manual upkeep while providing robust remote capabilities to keep the network running smoothly.
Skykit + Goodwill Retail =
A Powerful Combination
With Skykit, Goodwill can enhance both customer and employee experiences through impactful in-store displays. The centralized platform empowers regional oversight, while also allowing customization down to the individual location level.
Skykit media players have a small footprint and can be controlled remotely—reducing on-site maintenance.
Implementation is turnkey, with full onboarding support from the Skykit team. Ongoing customer success provides guidance to optimize use of the platform over time.
Everything is designed for ease of use, allowing Goodwill team members to focus on their core mission: enhancing the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.
