We already have useful guidance on our intranet and self-service website, including password resets and other common fixes, but we still receive many walk-in requests for issues users could resolve themselves. I'm considering a physical kiosk with a simple visual menu, icons, and links to the appropriate instructions or services, so users can quickly find help without feeling overwhelmed. It could potentially use spare computers or a Raspberry Pi, while still directing people to IT support when self-service is not enough. Has anyone implemented something similar, and what worked or failed?
4 Answers
We had a physical kiosk before, but adoption was poor and it eventually became a contact point for reaching IT. A self-service website worked better because users could access it from their own desks. A kiosk may still be useful for people who cannot sign in, but I’d keep it limited to a few high-value tasks and measure usage before deploying several devices.
We put common password and troubleshooting guidance on our internal IT page, and we’re also planning to add workflow forms for requests. The technology is fairly straightforward, but repeated walk-in users are the difficult part. Management support and a clear expectation that employees try the self-service options first are usually more important than the kiosk hardware.
Desktop shortcuts or a clearly labeled folder containing the most common support links may reach more people than a separate kiosk. For users who are locked out or cannot access their workstation, the kiosk could provide account recovery instructions and a way to contact support. It would be worth checking authentication and privacy requirements before using shared or repurposed hardware.
The locked-out-user scenario is one reason I’m considering a kiosk. I’ll look at combining it with desktop shortcuts so the links are available both inside and outside the normal workstation workflow.
This sounds like an IT support kiosk or a large, simplified portal rather than a new knowledge base. You could organize it around a few common icons—password reset, account unlock, Wi-Fi, printing, software requests, and contacting support—with each option opening the existing intranet or self-service page. Keeping the menu very small and visual would probably make it easier to use than exposing users to the entire knowledge base.
That’s the idea I’m considering: use the kiosk mainly as a visual starting point that points people to the resources we already have, rather than duplicating all of the documentation.
That makes sense. The kiosk would only help if there’s also an agreed process for directing routine requests toward it instead of automatically handling everything at the desk.