Sunnybrook’s Digital Evolution

~ How Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre redesigned their Digital

Signage Network using Clarity’s InforMe Digital Signage Toolset
to enhance the way they communicate with their staff, volunteers,
patients & visitors
Table of Contents:

Introduction 3

The Digital Signage Network Advantage 4

Bringing an Idea to Life 9

Content Rules Supreme 12

Conclusion 14
Introduction
The demands of the healthcare industry grow on a daily basis. Some of these include the need to
provide more primary and acute care services to an increasing population and/or region, as well as
meeting the needs of tomorrow through research endeavors and facilitating educational activities
for the healthcare professionals-in-training that will serve us in the future. With this evolution often
comes a predictable requirement to expand our healthcare facilities to keep up with these factors,
consequently, the need for healthcare organizations to discover and use new ways of communicating
with their patients, visitors and staff is also predictably necessary.

Recently, the healthcare industry has discovered the many advantages that a digital signage network
can bring to their organizational communications plan. Digital signage enables the loading and rapid
update of a wide variety of content and its immediate delivery to specific audiences in designated
locations throughout a healthcare facility. This flexibility allows a healthcare facility the ability to target
and send only the information or presentation materials they choose to different user/viewer groups
depending upon the specific purpose of the content within a controlled format/environment.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Sunnybrook) being one of the largest hospitals in Canada, faced
just such a challenge. Mr. Dre Noronha, Project Manager/Development Advisor for this project, was
tasked at directing Sunnybrook’s efforts to redesign their existing digital signage network system to
ensure it had the ability to easily post dynamic content on the large-scale digital plasma monitors
in key locations throughout their facility. Further enhancing the challenge of this project is the fact
that Sunnybrook is comprised of three separate sites including an educational campus so it’s overall
operations actually encompasses a fairly large geographical area.

Fortunately, Sunnybrook already had a proven and experienced partner in Clarity.ca (Clarity) to work
with on this exciting venture. Following closely on the heels of Sunnybrook and Clarity’s redesign of
their Intranet, this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Clarity’s newly installed CCM.Net
content management system that acts as a foundation for Clarity’s proprietary InforMe digital signage
toolset. InforMe is designed to significantly extend the client’s internal communication capacity in this
area to easily meet any industry and facility specific requirements of an organization’s digital signage
network.

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The Digital Signage Network Advantage

Benefits Patients & Visitors

The use of digital signage in a healthcare facility can help make the patients and visitors experience as
stress-free and enjoyable as possible in a number of ways. By offering fresh content such as a live feed
to the news or current weather conditions, notices of special activities the facility is hosting or care
services the organization offers, both patients and visitors have something else to focus on aside from
their medical issue and/or concern for their loved one. At first glance, providing a form of entertainment
may seem superficial, but in fact, this distraction helps people to pass the time when waiting for a
physician or results and can reduce their apprehension by giving them something else to think about.

Sunnybrook prides itself on its commitment to do everything in its power to help create the most
pleasant experience possible for their patients and families throughout their stay at Sunnybrook.
Placing engaging digital signage using Clarity’s InforMe in areas like their main lobby and emergency
waiting rooms is just one of the ways they try to make their patients and visitors stay a positive one.

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Improve Internal Communications
Digital signage is a terrific tool for improving internal communication between facility staff, doing away
with the need for bulletin boards where important information is easily overlooked amid the jumble
of items posted. Digital signage also ensures the content is always current and that only authorized
information is presented to the intended personnel.

Deploying the new InforMe digital signage toolset using Clarity’s CCM.Net capabilities, that is extremely
user-friendly for the network’s content manager, ensures that only authorized information is released to
key areas as well as making the job of refreshing content a relatively quick and easy process.

Enhances Staff, Patient & Visitor Safety

An invaluable feature of a well-designed digital signage system is its ability to effectively transmit
emergency information and messages to staff, patients and visitors. A key factor in the success of this
system is taking into account the strategic placement of the display screens in each area of the facility
to ensure the appropriate target viewers are reached/alerted.

With digital screens strategically placed throughout Sunnybrook’s large facility, any emergency alerts to
patients, visitors or staff ensure that such vital information and/or instructions are seen and responded
to immediately.

Promotes ‘Going Green’

The healthcare industry has become a leader in moving toward implementing processes and using
products that reduce the negative environmental impact on our world today. Using digital signage
for information-sharing and marketing purposes facilitates these efforts to ‘go green’ by reducing
the facility’s general use of paper, ink and plastics typically used in traditional print and promotional
material production mediums.

Sunnybrook uses every opportunity it can to actively promote it’s dedication to operating in an
environmentally friendly way. From using ‘green’ products in its daily operations, implementing

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environmentally friendly policies and procedures, including a ‘Green Tip of the Week’ on it’s Intranet to
replacing or supplementing informative materials that were formerly available only through print using
their digital signage – Sunnybrook never stops finding new methods of working in harmony with our
planet and its resources.

Encourages Facility Support

This unique communication venue also enables a healthcare facility the opportunity to actively
promote charitable events the organization is sponsoring as well as highlighting any facility services
available such as gift shops and restaurants to generate extra revenue to help support overall facility
operations.
As a strong advocate for numerous areas of research, education and new healthcare services,
Sunnybrook is delighted to have a communication tool like InforMe that so effectively highlights and
promotes its many and impressive charitable events that it sponsors throughout the year. Additionally,
the organization is pleased to be able to direct its patients and visitors to the amenities they are seeking
within the facility to make their experience more comfortable.

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Emphasizes Brand Image
Effective branding in healthcare should create a positive reaction in the patients/visitors minds when
they see your facility’s logo. Ideally, the desired response is to produce memories of being treated
with respect and genuine caring while receiving the very best in medical treatment services. Utilizing
a digital signage format enables you to present your logo in a non-intrusive but consistent manner
and reinforces the patients and visitors impression of a healthcare facility that uses the most current
technology in all areas of it’s operations.

Sunnybrook knows how important it is to project a positive organizational image and message to the
communities it serves. Using the InforMe digital signage toolset is one way that they are able to support
and reinforce their brand that is designed to represent the very best in healthcare and support services
to their patients and visitors.

Reduces Marketing Costs

Another advantage to using digital signage is the savings incurred by having a flexible medium that
can update information at a moments notice that traditionally had to be presented through the printed
medium (i.e., posters, banners, brochures). By using digital signage, the costs associated with printing,
reproducing, distributing and updating print materials is greatly reduced and in some cases, even
eliminated.

With an interdisciplinary healthcare facility like Sunnybrook that has grown to provide such a broad
range of healthcare services and research and educational endeavors, every saved dollar counts. At the
end of the day, it is these services that Sunnybrook wishes to direct their funding toward and any means
to further that goal – like reducing promotional and marketing costs – is an undeniable advantage.

Maximizing Network Capacity

Most healthcare facilities have already invested in a customized network, usually employing both
Internet and Intranet channels. Taking advantage of that investment in every way feasible only makes
fiscal and operational sense. Implementing and maintaining a digital signage display system using this

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Maximizing Network Capacity (continued...)
already established network ensures all facets of content and system management are conducted and
controlled by the appropriate internal personnel in the most cost efficient manner possible.

After working with Clarity to completely redesign and update their Intranet, Sunnybrook and Clarity
teamed up once again to capitalize on the new proprietary content management system (CCM.Net)
and unique information management and dissemination toolsets Clarity had already put in place.
This enabled Sunnybrook to redesign their digital signage system using the InforMe toolset by further
maximizing their existing network capacity and saved significant operational costs that would have
been associated with investing in a new system. In addition to greatly improving the ease and use of the
re-authoring and management system, the Clarity InforMe toolset is designed to enable clients to store
their content on their LAN system, with Clarity’s proprietary CCM.Net content management system
acting as the foundation to meet all administrative requirements.

‘‘ Clarity’s InforMe System is an easy to manage, easy to configure

digital signage system. It’s lightweight, web 2.0 browser-based code
and versatile templates run quickly and consistently in our hospital.
Furthermore, the fact that it plugs into the Clarity Content Manager’s
administration interface is a bonus to our content authors who can
switch between intranet and digital signage seamlessly. Lastly, the
coupled cost savings and ROI have been proven, all while the security
of our content remains inside our LAN. I highly recommend this system.
‘‘
We’re glad we made the switch to InforMe.

~ Dre Noronha
Corporate Webmaster,
Communications & Stakeholder Relations / Information Services

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Bringing an Idea to Life
Once the decision has been made to either install a new or enhance/upgrade an existing digital signage
network, there are some critical questions that must be answered in order to develop and implement a cost
efficient and effective system. Some of the most vital considerations with this analysis process include:

Assign a dedicated Project Manager – single-point accountability with what can be a complex
project like implementing a new digital signage network has proven to be a key factor in the successful
completion and ongoing management of this kind of undertaking;

Clearly define the main purpose and primary (measurable) goals and objectives of the organization’s
digital signage network;

Appoint a dedicated Content Manager – enlisting a qualified content manager to create new content
and keep the site fresh and exciting is a ‘must have’ in order to engage new and existing viewers – as
well as to safeguard content presentation relative to meeting consistent layout and corporate branding
parameters;

Determine which division is really best suited to manage your digital signage network and all of the
content authoring, publishing, artistic, logistic and technical system requirements that are involved in the
successful execution and maintenance of this system (i.e., IT is not automatically the best choice if your
organization has other areas that excel in marketing and corporate communications);

Consider all of your content options – remember that you can re-purpose existing marketing
materials (i.e., logos, videos, print advertising, commercials, etc.) as well as tapping into fresh content via
RSS Internet feeds (news, weather, etc.) – not all content has to be created from scratch;

Situate your digital display screens thoughtfully – ensure your display screens are located where they
will be the most easily viewed by your target audience and remember to consider technical and system
maintenance needs; and

Arrange training for key personnel – anyone who is a part of the digital signage network content
creation, maintenance and technical support teams need to be provided appropriate training to enable
the smooth operation of the system on a day-to-day basis.

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Bringing an Idea to Life (continued…)
Spearheading the redesign of Sunnybrook’s digital signage system was Project Manager, Mr. Dre
Noronha. Dre worked with Clarity to oversee all aspects of the transition from the outdated and
cumbersome digital signage system they had been using to integrating and customizing Clarity’s
CCM.Net to meet the exacting requirements the InforMe new digital toolset provides. This process
included managing everything from development into production, the switch to the CCM.Net and the
implementation of InforMe on their system.

Supporting Mr. Noronha, was Ms. Precilla Roopnaraine (Executive Assistant, Communications &
Stakeholder Relations), who acted as Sunnybrook’s primary Content Manager with responsibility
for creating and publishing critical content and ensuring the system was user friendly. Both Dre and
Precilla came to the table with a clear vision of the corporate goals and objectives that Sunnybrook’s
administrative and management team wished to achieve in the redesign of their digital signage system.
Working together, Clarity’s team was able to help finalize and translate these goals and objectives into a
system design format that met all of Sunnybrook’s expectations.

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Bringing an Idea to Life (continued…)
By redesigning their existing network information platform and installing InforMe, Sunnybrook was able
to reuse their existing digital screens and hardware equipment. Fortunately, Sunnybrook had already
given strategic placement of the digital screens careful consideration upon original installation and as a
result, they did not need to relocate any of their screens or controlling hardware. Another Sunnybrook
team member that was vital to the success of this project was Mr. Kevin Leicht (Information Services)
who offered outstanding IT support throughout the process. Kevin ensured all backend systems
for replacing the old software with Clarity’s CCM.Net and installing InforMe was in place, as well as
managing the implementation and support services for both the software and the hardware.

Aside from system redesign and implementation, Clarity was also responsible for providing training
and ongoing support to Sunnybrook’s team to facilitate a smooth transition from the previous digital
signage system to InforMe. The InforMe flexibility and features are unique in its ability to meet the
demands of today, with the ability to support organizational growth in the future with a scalable
architecture. By switching to InforMe, Sunnybrook saves manpower hours due to its user-friendly
content management capabilities, while improving their ability to deliver timely and critical information
to a variety of target audience groups.

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Content Rules Supreme
While the delivery medium is definitely a part of the message, it is the core content of the message that
creates a successful outcome. The beauty of the content creation process is that the desired outcome can
be measured by the viewer reactions/actions, indicating if there is a need to alter the content to produce
more effective results. Content creation tips to maximize the impact of digital screen content include:

Enthusiastically engage the audience to increase message effectiveness – offer valuable information,
entertaining and attractive presentations and use tools like humour to reach the broadest spectrum of
potential viewers;

Stay succinct and on-point to the core message – don’t inundate the viewer with unnecessary details;

Remember that ‘less is more’ when it comes to visual layout and design – don’t clutter the screen with
too many different visual dynamics at once or the message will be lost in the confusion;

Capture attention with select audio cues (if appropriate) – without bombarding the audience with
constant ‘white noise’;

Create visual consistency – always place key visual elements such as logos or critical information in the
same place of the screen so the viewers automatically learn where to look to find the information they’re
seeking;

Use familiar message delivery formats in a familiar way – an example of this rule is the use of tickers/
scrolling banners. The audience is used to seeing these used for the presentation of things like news
headlines – and if used in this familiar way on a digital signage display – they will be accepted and valued;

Put message delivery needs ahead of the ‘artist in you’ – choose font styles and sizes that are easily and
clearly read without a lot of effort from different distances (varying dependent upon the display setting,
audience placement and screen size); and

Use every tool in the ‘toolbox’ – if your content format platform will support the ‘bells and whistles’
– use them to enhance your message delivery (i.e., dynamic rendering, data integration, content
management, etc.).

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Content Rules Supreme (continued…)
From the start of this project, Sunnybrook’s knowledge and insight into their target audience groups
needs, combined with their clear vision of the message they wished to share, resulted in a remarkably
straight-forward content development process with Clarity. Clarity’s proprietary content management
system, the CCM.Net, easily facilitated all of Sunnybrook’s program objectives. The CCM.Net is an easy to
use web-based, cross-platform and cross-browser application that requires no plug-ins or downloads.
CCM.Net allows content owners to collaborate in the ongoing content creation, management
and publication of all types of content and proved to be the perfect ‘backbone’ in the redesign of
Sunnybrook’s digital signage system.

By using the web as their deployment medium for InforMe, Sunnybrook can disseminate different
content to any of the screens that are connected to their hardware model. This flexibility is vital since
there are a wide variety of target audience groups including their staff, Physicians, volunteers, patients
and visitors.

Additionally, the CCM.Net and InforMe was designed to offer Clarity’s clients the ability to incorporate
any ‘bells and whistles’ they wished to in an extraordinarily user-friendly content development
environment. This enables the content manager to create completely customized ‘parent templates’
to work from to preset primary layout and design screen display parameters (i.e., corporate branding,
scrolling banners of live RSS feeds, etc.). This design feature assures consistency in overall format as well
as maintaining control around corporate branding requirements. InforMe’s ability to easily include any
visual or audio cues (i.e., videos, images, flash animations, etc.) was also designed to make the content
manager’s job even easier.

Sunnybrook’s understanding of the importance of good content was a driving force behind their overall
decision-making process throughout this project. With their hardware needs already met, they knew
their redesign requirements were all about the software controlling their digital signage network.
Employing Clarity’s CCM.Net and InforMe to enhance their capability to create and change content
easily, as well as offering the ability to incorporate any visual or audio content applications they desired,
provided Sunnybrook with exactly the new digital signage design system solution they were seeking.

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Conclusion
Sunnybrook takes great pride in ensuring that every facet of their healthcare organization anticipates
and continues to meet the evolving needs of their patients, visitors and staff in every way possible.
Partnering once again with Clarity to implement the new InforMe graphic signage toolset is the perfect
example of how they continue to meet this important organizational mandate.

This unique project involved a two-tiered roll out and an extensive testing process, with the end result
generating extraordinarily positive feedback from Sunnybrook’s administrative team, the system
authors and the end users; all of whom enjoy the brighter and cleaner interface, the consistent look and
feel of their branding and web based project content and the exceptional authoring ease that InforMe
provides.

Whether it’s providing expert consulting, application development, application integration, creative
design, employee training and/or intranet development services – our impressive team of experienced
multi-disciplined professionals enables us to ensure that our clients are presented with only the most
effective and cost efficient solutions available to support and achieve their unique organizational and
customer service goals.

To explore what innovative solutions Clarity can provide your organization with or to request more
information, please call: (403) 705-5900 or select [direct link to online request for more information

‘‘
‘‘
here]. To learn more about Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, please select [direct link to
Sunnybrook’s website here].

“I love working with this team. From the Project managers, to the
development team. They are consistent, they are courteous, they are
on time, on budget, and they deliver quality every time”.

~ Dre Noronha
Corporate Webmaster,
Communications & Stakeholder Relations / Information Services

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