If you want the short answer then… YES!

I guess you expect more than that, so there we go…

The first and easiest answer is that we are no longer in the 20th century. We are actually in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century. Everything is moving faster, everything is changing and the very frequently using the word ‘Dynamic’ is a key in all business aspects. The printed menu boards are long gone, this is clear. The fact that digital signage technology is replacing the menu boards is a 10 years ago vision coming true (actually the main trigger was the flat screens). So, showing a digital menu board that changes every now and then, by using a person with a disk on key updating the prices or the items on the menu, is not what restaurant/bar/school/university dining room mangers think about when they imagine a digital menu board.
Digital menu board
As the business needs are changing rapidly, the supporting systems must keep up. The fact that a filet steak can cost 20$ for lunch and 30$ for dinner is clear to all. But maybe it can cost 45$ when the Super Bowl game is on and the bar is crowded? Maybe it should cost 12$ after 2AM, when it is getting slower and younger people coming in after a party? This kind of flexibility is not in the menu board of the traditional digital signage… The super easy to use, cloud based content management systems with highly dynamic, close to real time capabilities are here to support the business, any business.

Lastly, the price… The modern SaaS technologies allow digital signage software providers to provide Dynamic Digital Menu boards at the same cost (sometimes even in lower cost!) of the traditional ‘half static’ digital signage. In reasonable prices any business owner can easily upgrade the signage systems, becoming more flexible in his ability to communicate and serve his clients.

And what is next? Well, another popular word – interactive! Yes, soon enough dynamic will not be sufficient, the menu boards will become interactive menu boards. Someone wants to vote about the beer that will be served for 5$ during the ‘Happy Hour’? Maybe bid on the price of the steak? This technology is mature enough as we speak. But this is for the next blog…

Next time, stick to the short answer – Yes, digital menu boards must be dynamic!

Gil.