KeepnTrack Tip of the Week

For the week of 09.28.09

Attended vs. Unattended Kiosk

Overview

The Kiosk is the interface or mode that is used to sign people in and out of KeepnTrack. Any one site (school) may have multiple kiosks available to quickly and efficiently handle those needing to sign in and out. The kiosk interface may be modified to reflect only those types of people you wish to keep track of.

Kiosk Preferences

To modify Kiosk Preferences go to the Account tab and then to the Operators submenu. You may then add Operators or modify existing Operators to meet your needs including the addition of an Operator that serves as the Self-Service Kiosk. To create a Self-Service Kiosk create a new Operator and assign the appropriate Login ID, Password, First and Last Name (see below for an example), and then check “Kiosk runs in self-service mode” under the Kiosk tab in Permissions.

You may also limit the buttons visible on Kiosk interfaces to match only those people you wish to track. For example you may wish to keep track of visitors, volunteers and staff, but not students and vendors. Set the other preferences to match your needs.

Attended Kiosk

Depending on how your school or facility operates, you may choose to have people sign in or out by reporting to a school secretary or other front office staff, who operates the computer to complete the KeepnTrack sign in/sign out process. This insures that traffic in and out of the school is monitored not only by KeepnTrack but also by school personnel.

Attended Kiosks are defined as part of an Operator Account as described in the Kiosk Preferences section above. If an operator desires to use the Attended Kiosk they can choose the Kiosk button during login.

Unattended Kiosk

Conversely, KeepnTrack supports the use of a Self-Service Kiosk mode that allows people to sign in without the help of school staff. This allows one or more kiosk stations to be set up and operated without the need for a staff person to man the computer. However it is recommended that one or more staff people are versed in using an attended kiosk in the event someone desiring to log in is not comfortable or able to operate the Self-Service Kiosk.

The Self-Service interface is simplified to facilitate all potential users, including those that have never signed in before. The Self-Service options frees up staff personnel from the time it takes to sign people in and out. The following is an example of an initial screen for the Self-Service or unattended mode.

Once the person clicks on one of the buttons to sign in or sign out they are asked to indicate if they are a visitor, volunteer or other based on the categories that have been enabled.

By creating a login for a Self-Service Kiosk interface as well as Kiosk interfaces for other Operators you then have the flexibility to use the Unattended as well as an Attended Kiosk at any time. As well, it would be possible to have different kiosk interfaces for use at different locations within a particular school or at different school sites. KeepnTrack provides this flexibility to best meet the particular needs of each school site.