Olmsted County, MN

• Industry: Housing Redevelopment Authority / Government
• Product: Zamok Kiosk Office Suite
• Kiosk Model: Document Kiosk (QTY: 11)
• Zamok Subscription: Premier
• Details: Public Housing / Health & Human Services

Background

Olmsted County, Minnesota’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) partnered with Advanced Kiosks to modernize service delivery through self-service technology. Facing pressure to streamline operations and cut time spent on routine tasks, the HRA started with a pilot program built around a single test kiosk.

The pilot worked. Encouraged by resident feedback, the county expanded the initiative and installed ten additional Zamok Kiosk Office Suite kiosks across public facilities including libraries and Community Service centers. Placing kiosks where residents already go keeps essential county services accessible countywide.

Business Challenge

• Routine tasks consumed staff time that could go toward higher-value service
• Residents needed access to country services outside traditional office hours
• Essential services were concentrated in offices rather than distributed where residents live and gather
• The county wanted a solution it could scale in phases based on  real usage and feedback
• Services neede to remain accessible to residents of varying comfort with technology

Solutions Delivered

Advanced Kiosks delivered a custom self-service platform built around the specific needs of the HRA. The interface developed by Advanced Kiosks goes beyond conventional kiosk functionality, letting residents complete critical tasks independently at any hour.

The kiosks support:

• Applying for Housing & Family Services
• Scanning and submitting healthcare renewals and documents
• Form fill and submission
• Making payments on rent or bills
• Submitting maintenance requests
• Accessing legal assistance
• Accessing health insurance and veteran services

By moving these tasks to self-service, the kiosks improve user experience while extending HRA services beyond office hours. Olmsted County has further maximized the kiosks’ impact by promoting the new capabilities through instructional videos on social media, helping residents adopt the technology.

Outcome

The kiosks give Olmsted County residents a reliable way to handle housing, family, and health-related tasks on their own schedule, without depending on office hours or staff availability. Placing them in libraries and community centers extends the county’s reach into the places residents already visit.

As County Administrator Heidi Welsch put it, the kiosks are “designed to be another touchpoint for residents to access help from the county.” And the county sees this as a starting point, not an endpoint. Health, Housing & Human Services Division Administrator Sarah Oachs called it “just phase one,” with plans to expand offerings based on what they learn, encouraging residents to try the kiosks and share feedback.

For Olmsted County, the phased rollout delivers a scalable model: prove the concept with a pilot, expand based on real usage, and keep adding services over time.