Businesses who deals with daily footfall understand the importance of waiting line management. In any given day there would be a time when the footfall would be very high, this time period is also known as peak hours, which would indicate the maximum footfall. It is those peak hours when the influx is high the crowd forms. The crowd formation lead to a nightmarish situation for the staff and the management. Managing large influx could be a very challenging task. For that business hire new staff, allocate more resources and might also adopt technological solutions. This also makes queuing very expensive. However, a business must have a queuing process to manage the waiting line and to organize the customers and visitors. Managing waiting line will help businesses to improve customer flow and reduce customer wait time. The queue management is also essential for customer experience. The customer experience is the most important part of any business’s strategy. It is extremely important to ensure a happy and satisfactory customer experience. A satisfied customers turns into loyal one and customer loyalty is essential for long term sustainable growth and profitability.
When it comes to queue management, the earliest form of queue management systems were just making line which were usually served as first come first served bases. Later on the clipboard and pen method was introduced all around the world, in fact many businesses from all around the world are still using this method. However, it turns out to be very inefficient, especially for the modern digital world the manual waiting line management is too outdated. That is when the digital queue management systems were introduced. The digital queue management systems have also evolved a lot over the past two decades. Here in Dubai and all around the UAE the markets are slightly different, it is actually due to rapid growth, tougher competition and savvy customers with sky-high demands and expectations. This encouraged both businesses and vendors to come up with more advanced, innovative and efficient queue management systems. When you seek to acquire a queue management system in Dubai or anywhere in UAE you will find tons of options. One can easily get overwhelmed with the sheer number of designs and models advertised all over the market. That is why in this blog we will list all essential and important features of a queue management system that you must consider while acquiring a new queuing solution.
Important Features of a Queue Management System
Before we discuss the important features of a queue management system it is important to understand what a basic digital queue management system is. A digital queue management system consists of two parts, one is the software and the other is the hardware. The queuing process starts with the customer or visitor signing up for the queue via ticket dispensing self-service interactive kiosk and they system issued them a ticket containing their position in the queue and the estimated time to their turn. The system also have audio-visual announcement module which makes announcements at each customer calling and also provide basic queuing details at a large signage screen. When the customer’s number is called they reach to the designated counter, get served and leave. Some queue management system also provide a customer feedback collection module which request customers to submit feedback before leaving. Furthermore the queue management system automates several steps of the customer journey and have ability to collect valuable business intelligence data which help management analyze and improve relevant processes and work flows.
When a business decides to acquire a modern digital queue management system they can easily get overwhelmed with the sheer number of options and vendors available in the UAE. This could be confusing and very challenging for the management, here are the key features that you should consider while selecting a queue management system for your business to ensure maximum performance and impact.
Features of Queue Management System: 1. Essential Hardware Components
The queue management system is built on very effective and efficient technology platforms. There is no maximum limit of hardware component but there is a minimum limit. The queue management system technology is widely available and utilized hence it makes it easier to find a tons of hardware accessories which enable businesses to offer more innovative and convenient features. Here is a list of basic hardware componentsthat are essential to operate a digital queue management system:
- Ticket Dispensing Unit or Ticket Dispensing Interactive Self-Service Kiosk
- Digital Signage Screens and Displays
- Announcement System
- Counter Plates or Counter Displays
The quantity of the hardware depends on the size of the service center and other details. Such as if the waiting area is small then only 1 digital signage is fine, it waiting area is larger than we might need 2, furthermore if the digital signage is not visible from every part of waiting area then we will also require to install 2 of them and so on. Similarly the interactive self-service ticket dispensing kiosk, counter plates and/or any other hardware quantity is determined.
Apart from essential hardware components there are several other factors that also cause businesses to have a different hardware configurations. There are several other hardware components and accessories that can also be installed. For example if you want to fetch the customer identification details at the sign-up process than you might require an Emirate ID Card Reader, an RFID or passport scanner, barcode reader, document scanner, etc. All those hardware accessories can be integrated with the interactive self-service ticket dispensing kiosk. Similarly business could have different needs and processes hence they might need different types of hardware which they can integrate in the system to maximize its usability and functionality. Business also frequently use customer feedback collection for that they can integrate separate hardware devices in the system such as touch screen tablets, interactive kiosks, etc. The touch screen and tablets are usually used at the counters or near the service counters, the kiosks are usually placed at the exits or in easy-to-reach place where most of the customers and visitors can see them. These hardware can also be integrated with the queue management system if needed.
Features of Queue Management System:2. Essential Software Components
The queue management system software is the core application which process all the data, take instructions and perform the queuing tasks. The queue management system software is a server-side application which contains all the source codes, algorithms and processes required for the system. The core application can be accessed by multiple interfaces which are exclusively designed for different user groups.
- Customer UI
- Service Agent Dashboard
- Administrative Dashboard
The customer user interface (UI) is accessible from the interactive self-service kiosk which is used for sign-up process and it also dispense the tickets. Furthermore the customers can be provided with additional features via this UI which are available. The service agents also got their dedicated dashboard which is designed for them. The service agent dashboard offer several useful options via an intuitive UI. The service agent’s dashboard is designed to help and facilitate several agent’s tasks such as pre-sale, post-sale tasks, customer calling, queuing information, customer rerouting features, etc. Then there is an administrative dashboard which is the back office of the system and is designed for the IT and the management. The management can get live queuing data, historical data, performance data, analytical tools, and features to manage the content, configurations and processes of the queue management system. These all are basic software components but businesses can have more features as per their needs.
Features of Queue Management System:3. Automated Customer Flow Management
The biggest advantage of a digital queue management system is that it helps automating the customer flow and improve customer experience by reducing customer wait time and improving the efficiency of the employees. However, many businesses doesn’t realize that this automation can be extremely useful if it also allow them to customize the processes as per their needs or situation. Usually a digital queue management system have basic configuration which allow businesses to implement their queuing policy and the smart algorithms automates the entire process. A good queue management system will also provide you customization features which will enable you to configure a lot many details of the process. It also gives businesses more control over their queuing policies and make it easier to implement a customized queuing policy. This also involved special need scenarios, for example at an event or occasion when you are expecting massive footfall you can implement an entirely different queuing policy for a limited time period and later resume to regular procedures. Similarly the queue management system software is based on AI (artificial intelligence) and smart algorithms which enables it to analyze queuing data in real-time and take decisions in real-time to reroute customers to ensure maximum efficiency and to optimize the wait time and performance. All such features are an indicator of a good high-performance queue management system.
Features of Queue Management System:4. Virtual Queuing
The virtual queuing is one of the modern form of queue management process. The virtual queuing gain huge popularity in Dubai and all around the UAE in past few years. Businesses and customers both are admiring it because of its great benefits and excellent efficiency. The virtual queuing involves integrating digital channels and remote mediums which allow customers and visitors to interact with the queue management system without being physically present at the business premises. That is the major difference between the traditional queue management systems and virtual queue management systems. Customers and visitors are allowed to sign-up for virtual queues using remote channels such as website, QR code, customer portals, mobile phone applications, SMS, Email, Call, etc. The customers are issued an e-ticket which contains their position in the queue and estimated time to their turn. This means that a customer or visitor can sign-up for the queue while sitting at their home or office. Then they can plan their travel accordingly to spend least time at the waiting areas. That is why the waiting time for the virtual queue management system is very short and in fact in some cases it is literally none. There are several other benefits of virtual queuing such as live queuing updates via website, customer portals, SMS, WhatsApp, mobile apps, etc. Alerts and notifications are also very useful and the customers and agents can communicate as well. In general the virtual queuing offers an excellent customer experience and much higher customer satisfaction than any traditional digital queue management system.
Features of Queue Management System:5. Third-Party System Integration
Whenever a business acquires a new software based solution they always consider the capabilities and limitations of the third-party integration feature. Similarly when you are acquiring a digital queue management system you should also make sure that it will offer adequate support for third-party system integration. The third-party system integration is basically a technological solution to enable two separate and standalone systems to communicate with each other. Both systems can share data and synchronize instructions to maximize the efficiency, performance and capabilities of the systems. The third-party system integration depends on the technology, programing techniques and the structure of the software. Some closed-source software doesn’t allow integration outside of their ecosystem which can be a great problem for system integration. Some technologies fully support third-party integration but are not compatible with the other systems. Hence it is important to understand your existing IT infrastructure and digital environment before deciding which queue management system you want to implement. With the help of system integration you can maximize the efficiency of the system and relevant processes, you can minimize repeated work and efforts required to perform a task and you can save time and resources of data conversion and manual upload. For example the integration of the queue management system with the customer database allow it to identify the customer, if you are also collecting customer feedback and it is integrated with your queuing system you can improve the response rate and data quality and the third-party system integration also help you facilitate service agent and maximize their work quality and efficiency. That is why the third-party system integration is a must to have feature for a queuing system.
Features of Queue Management System:6. Centralized Administration
For service sector it is common to have multiple offices, branches and service centers. This means that most of the businesses have one central location or head office where the most senior management resides and then they have several branches or regional offices. A good queue management system provide you great features to support a centralized management structure. The administrative dashboard comes with ability to allow creating multiple user groups with different access and administration authority which should align with your internal hierarchal structure. Such features will help you to integrate your work flows and management practices within the queue management process. Furthermore it will also allow head office and senior management to monitor and manage each and every connected branch. The system allow appointing a branch manager at each location, even one manager can have multiple locations as well and then there could be several other access levels such as assistants, supervisors, etc. The agents could also have different access and administration levels such as ordinary service agent, team lead, supervisor, and manager, etc. All these features will help businesses manage and monitor their queuing processes from head office and also help supporting the on-site staff and management in their tasks and activities.
Features of Queue Management System:7. Maintenance, Scalability and Customization
Most of the time when businesses acquire a new software solution they usually don’t pay much attention to the future scalability, maintenance, customization, upgrades, etc. However it is crucial to understand and agree with the vendor on these points. Most of the queue management systems in the market offers great support in all these areas however, the trickier part is that every vendor has its own payment and costing structure hence all these things could be very costly. There are two different types of software, one is COTS or commercial off-the-shelf software which are ready-to-use and are designed by a vendor or service provider according to the market standards. The up-scaling, customization and modifications could cost you a lot down the road which impact the overall ROI of the system. There is another type of software solution which is called customized software development, in that case the vendor design and develop a tailor-made queue management system solution exclusively for your business and you will get full ownership rights of the product. In that case all such costs can be eliminated or significantly reduced which improve your ROI over the time. No matter which system development approach you take it is important to clearly understand, define and agree upon all these aspects as in future you will be needing all those services. Any obstacle or difficulty could compromise your growth, progress and productivity as well.
Features of Queue Management System:8. Business Intelligence Data Gathering
In the present day and age the modern businesses are heavily relying on the data, in fact the most successful business strategies are completely data driven. Business decisions, policy making, strategies and product development functions heavily rely on the business intelligence data. The business intelligence data is basically the insight to your internal and external processes including employees, customers, communication, and much more. A good queue management system always capture valuable business intelligence data. It can capture system usage and analytical data from each and every customer touch-point throughout the customer journey. It monitor and evaluate the entire queuing process, customer journey, customer experience, happiness and overall efficiency of the queuing process. Furthermore the queue management system is also capable of monitoring several employee performance KPIs and it can integrate with other systems to further improve the quality of the business intelligence data. The customer feedback is one of the most important part of business intelligence data, a good queue management system offers you integrated customer feedback tools, or it can also provide in-built customer feedback management features which help you to gather feedback data long with other insights. A queue management system also provide in-built analytical tools and data sharing capabilities which allow managers to extract actionable reports and share data with stakeholders to address the problems and take actions for future improvements.
Conclusion
The Dubai and in fact the entire UAE is a very dynamic marketplace, the customer trends are changing rapidly the market competition is growing steadily and the technology is evolving on a rapid pace. All these factors need a business to adopt to the technologies and practices that can respond to the sudden changes and also support business growth. When it comes to the modern marketplace the businesses have started transitioning from a sales-oriented business model to a more customer-centric business model since more than a decade now. This transition was not sudden but gradually it have completely changed the way businesses were operating around a decade ago. For any customer-centric business the customers are its top priority, especially in highly competitive markets the businesses need to pay more attention to their customers’ needs, desires and interests. According to several studies and researches all around the globe, a modern day customer puts experience equal to the quality of the product or service they acquire from a business. These studies have also indicated that a majority of the customers are willing to pay extra if they are ensured that they will get a better experience. This makes customer experience one of the most important success factor. Businesses all around the UAE are actively seeking new methods, practices, technologies and solutions which can help them improve customer experience.
A queue management system is the solution to all major problems that a service-based business could face. It help businesses improve customer experience and it also increase their operational capabilities and performance. That is why a when it comes to acquire a new queue management system there is a lot on the stake. Businesses need to be very careful when selecting a new queue management system. However, in Dubai and all around the UAE the sheer number of vendors and different types of queue management systems can make it very confusing for a manager to decide which solution they should choose. That is why in this blog we have listed the basic details about the software and hardware of the queue management system along with several other features that can help you achieve your current goals and a good queue management system with all these features will make you able to deal with unexpected and uncertain future market conditions. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want our help to design and develop a custom tailor-made and highly cost-efficient queue management system for your business please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.
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