How to formulate a maintenance plan for your LED digital signage

Companies from a wide range of industries are increasingly utilising LED digital signage to help them enhance their businesses in a variety of ways – from marketing their products, to engaging with their clients, and entertaining their customers. It’s a great way to deliver stimulating content in a quick and effective manner, and it’s what we specialise in here at Scanlite.

Now it’s no secret that one of the best ways you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your own LED signage is by keeping on top of aspects like its general cleanliness, software and hardware maintenance. So, with that in mind, here’s a few tips to help you formulate your own maintenance plan for your LED digital signage solution.

A good old fashioned clean

You might remember the research done by Professor Paul Matewele, a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University, who found some rather unpleasant bacteria on the touchscreen kiosks in several McDonald’s restaurants in the U.K. This was back in 2018, and since then we’ve had to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made consumers even more sceptical of the cleanliness of touchscreens and other digital signage.

Accordingly, we’d highly recommend implementing a regular cleaning routine to help maintain the hygiene and efficiency of your LED digital signage. You can do this by regularly cleaning it with a screen-safe antimicrobial wipe, and any stains and marks can easily be wiped off using a soft cloth and a mild cleaning solution. We’d also recommend giving your screen a good dusting to ensure that fine particles don’t interfere with its general operation.

Hardware repairs

Basically, look after your hardware and it’ll look after you. The actual physical components of your LED screens endure quite a lot during everyday usage; that can include anything from casual knocks and bumps, to simply constant exposure to the elements. Thankfully, it’s not something you’ll have to worry too much about, as long as you implement a suitable maintenance schedule.

If your system is used intermittently – say, for certain events a few times a year – you’ll probably be just fine with a relatively light cleaning schedule, maybe annually or bi-annually. However, things are a bit different if your screen is a permanent installation. Just like anything else that’s always on, certain components have a shorter longevity when they’re in constant use, so you’ll probably need a more frequent and intensive maintenance schedule; more along the lines of once every couple of months or so.

Thankfully, that’s exactly what we can provide right here at Scanlite. When you purchase one of our LED screens, we’ll make sure to arrange a preventative maintenance schedule that’s perfectly suited to the requirements of your product.

Now, understandably not everyone is too keen on the idea of paying for regular check-ups – there are lots of people who prefer to pay for repairs on an ad-hoc basis, only calling out an engineer when an actual problem develops. The problem with that is that these kind of callouts tend to be more expensive than scheduled visits, and presents the issue of downtime before the engineer arrives (which can often be a day or two). Preventative maintenance, on the other hand, helps spread the cost by identifying any developing issues before they evolve into serious problems, and can save you a whole lot of costs, hassle and downtime as a result.

(If you’ve got any additional questions about maintenance, you can always get in touch with our experts on maintenance@scanlite.co.uk. )

Software maintenance

Software maintenance is just as important as hardware maintenance – even if your screen is functioning perfectly, it’s no help if you’ve got nothing for it to display. LED screens are ultimately operated by computers, so in order to get the most benefit out of yours, it’s worth investing the extra time and money in your operating system to ensure your screens won’t be affected by any underlying glitches, bugs, or performance issues. (Don’t forget about cybersecurity either – attacks are vanishingly rare, but still not to be dismissed offhand.)

And of course, that old universal IT rule applies – make sure you keep backups, just in case!

Now, these are just the broad strokes. If you’ve got any specific concerns or you’d like some more detailed recommendations for your specific application, that’s exactly where our staff can help here at Scanlite. We know digital signage solutions inside out, including the many ways in which it can be used to help you create fantastic, interactive advertising content. To find out how we can help you, feel free to give us a call today on 01253 302723, or email us on sales@scanlite.co.uk.