Digital Notice Board: Software, Features & Implementation in the Workplace

Digital Notice Board Guide: Software, Planning & Implementation

Looking to introduce a digital notice board in your company? Then you need more than just a screen on the wall.

For a successful solution, digital signage software, hardware, content, locations, integrations and internal responsibilities need to work together.

Implementation can generally be divided into six steps:

1. Define goals and target groups
2. Choose display locations
3. Select digital signage software
4. Integrate hardware and existing systems
5. Define content, roles and permissions
6. Start with a pilot project and scale from there

This guide takes you through each step and explains what to consider.

1. Define goals and target groups

Before choosing software or displays, clarify which communication problem the digital notice board should solve.

Typical goals include:

• Reaching employees without their own PC
• Making information visible in production areas
• Providing shift and duty schedules digitally
• Distributing company news faster
• Communicating centrally across multiple locations
• Replacing printed notice boards
• Displaying information from existing systems
• Keeping safety and production information up to date

A useful starting question is: Which employees are not reliably reached by our current communication channels, and which information should be visible on displays?

2. How do you reach employees without their own PC?

Employees in production, logistics, warehouses and other operational areas often do not have a dedicated PC workstation. Email and intranet therefore do not reach everyone equally.

A digital notice board makes information visible directly in the working environment.

Suitable locations include production areas, entrances, break rooms, canteens, corridors, changing rooms and logistics areas. Digital signage does not need to replace email, intranet or employee apps. It complements these channels by making information visible where employees actually work.

3. Which software is suitable for a digital notice board?

A suitable digital signage platform should allow content, displays, locations, users and publishing schedules to be managed centrally.

The right software depends on the number of displays and locations, existing hardware, IT infrastructure and required integrations. For multi-display environments, scalability is particularly important.

With the connectSignage digital signage platform, content, devices and locations can be managed centrally, with time- and location-based playback and role-based user management.

4. Which features should the software provide?

Central content management

Content should be created and managed centrally and then published to selected displays.

Scheduling

Information should be displayed and removed automatically at defined times.

Location-based playback

Content should be assignable to individual locations, display groups or specific screens.

Roles and permissions

Different departments and locations need different access rights, so role and permission management is essential.

Integrations and interfaces

Existing information should not need to be maintained twice. Integrations and APIs can connect existing systems and data sources.

Monitoring and offline playback

For larger networks, device status should be visible centrally, while previously deployed content should continue playing during temporary network outages.

5. Cloud or on-premises?

Another decision is how the digital signage software should be operated. Cloud solutions use hosted infrastructure, while on-premises solutions run within the company's own infrastructure.

The appropriate model depends on IT strategy, security requirements and internal policies. connectSignage supports both cloud and on-premises deployments.

6. What hardware does a digital notice board need?

A digital notice board generally requires a display and a suitable player solution. Important factors include display size, viewing distance, brightness, operating hours, portrait or landscape orientation, network connection, touch functionality, player type and environmental conditions.

connectSignage supports a range of SoC and player platforms and operating systems, including Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips, iiyama, BrightSign, Windows and Android.

7. What content belongs on a digital notice board?

Content should reflect the target audience, location and current information needs. Typical examples include company news, HR announcements, shift schedules, events, new employees, anniversaries, safety information, production information, KPIs, dashboards, meal plans, weather and traffic information.

The key question is not how much content fits on a screen, but: What information is relevant to employees at this specific location right now?

8. How can company news be displayed on screens?

Company news can be created directly in the digital signage platform or pulled from existing information sources. You can define when, where and for how long each message appears.

9. How can shift schedules and employee information be displayed?

Shift schedules and employee information can be maintained directly or imported from an existing data source. If a primary system already exists, an automated integration is usually more efficient than creating a second manual process.

Existing data source → digital signage platform → selected displays

10. Integrating existing systems and data sources

A digital notice board should not create another information silo. Existing systems such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, OneDrive, calendars, databases, ERP systems, network folders, RSS feeds and internal applications can be connected through integrations and APIs.

11. Managing digital notice boards across multiple locations

For multiple plants, branches or buildings, management should be centralized while still allowing local content. Content can be organized company-wide, by location, by department or for individual displays.

12. Define roles and permissions

Before rollout, define who can create, edit and publish content, who manages locations and displays, and which departments can access specific content. This allows multiple teams to work within the same system without giving everyone access to everything.

13. Digital notice boards in production

Digital notice boards are particularly useful in production environments where employees do not have a dedicated desk or regular access to email and intranet. Typical content includes shift schedules, company news, production KPIs, status information and safety alerts.

14. Practical example: Digital notice boards at RAILONE

RAILONE uses digital notice boards in its plants to centrally distribute current shift schedules and relevant information. This helps reach employees regardless of whether they work at a traditional office desk.

15. Start with a pilot project

For larger projects, start with one location, a small number of displays, a defined target group and clearly defined content. Test display locations, content processes, integrations, roles and responsibilities before scaling.

16. Roll out to additional locations

Once the pilot is successful, reuse standards such as the hardware concept, display groups, permissions, templates, content processes, integrations and support processes when adding further locations.

Checklist: Introducing a digital notice board

Strategy

• Which employees do we want to reach?
• Which communication problem are we solving?
• What information should appear on the displays?

Software

• Can content and displays be managed centrally?
• Can content be scheduled and targeted by location?
• Are roles, monitoring and offline playback available?
• Can existing systems be integrated?

Organization and rollout

• Who creates and publishes content?
• Who is technically responsible?
• Which area is suitable for a pilot?
• How will additional displays and locations be integrated?

Conclusion: Plan your digital notice board systematically

A digital notice board is more than a screen for digital announcements. For a sustainable solution, software, hardware, content, integrations, locations and responsibilities must work together.

Start by defining target audiences and communication goals, choose software that fits your IT infrastructure, and test the setup in a pilot before scaling it to further locations.

Frequently asked questions

Which software is suitable for a digital notice board?

You need digital signage software that centrally manages content, displays, locations, users and schedules. For multiple locations, roles, monitoring, integrations and scalable device management are also important.

What hardware do I need?

You need a suitable display and a player solution. Whether you use an integrated System-on-Chip player or an external player depends on your hardware, installation site and technical requirements.

Can a digital notice board be used across multiple locations?

Yes. A centralized digital signage platform can manage displays and content across locations while still targeting local content to individual sites or screens.