THE GUIDE TO

QUEUE
MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS
INTRODUCTION
Managing customers' queue experience and waiting time is an essential part of delighting
your customers. The purpose of this presentation is to give you a central understanding of
what a queue management system is, why it's important and how to choose a solution.

CHAPTERS:

01 02 03 04
What is Queue What is a Queue Benefits of a Queue Which industries benefit
Management System? Management System? Management System the most of a Queue
Management System?

05 06 07
How does a Queue How to choose the best How to implement a Queue
Management System work? Queue Management System Management System
WHAT IS QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
WHAT IS QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
Queue management is the process of improving your business by
managing customer's waiting experience.

As explained in the article How to manage customers' waiting

experience, there are two types of waiting time.

1 The actual time between the customer first decides to

get something until they have it.

The perceived time between the customer first decides

2
to get something until they have it.

As a service provider, you need to consider both types of waiting

time. If you want to improve the customer experience, you need to
reduce the actual waiting time while enhancing the perceived
waiting time.
QUEUE MANAGEMENT VS.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY MANAGEMENT
The term Queue Management appeared in the mid

“
20th century. At that time, the main focus was to
improve the customer's queue experience by
decreasing the actual wait time inside, e.g., a
restaurant. In recent years new technology has
evolved into a more complex customer journey.
“Queue Management is the
process of improving your
Today, service providers need to manage the entire
customer journey, from pre-arrival to post serving. business by managing
Thus, we at Qmatic rather refer to Customer Journey customers' waiting experience
Management than Queue Management. On the page
Customer Journey Management, you can learn more throughout their entire customer
about the difference between the terms. journey.”
However, in this presentation, we will refer to a
renewed definition of traditional Queue Management.
WHAT IS A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
WHAT IS A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
A Queue Management System is primarily a system that
makes sure that customers get served in the right order, but
according to our renewed definition of Queue Management
(previous page) a Queue Management System is then a
system that manages the customer’s waiting experience
throughout their entire journey, from pre-service to post-
service. The solution can contain either or both software and
hardware that help businesses to facilitate the customer's
access to service, to plan and manage customer flow and
staff, and to gather data to improve the customer
experience.
TYPES OF A QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
As previously mentioned, a queue management system can contain both
software and hardware. Below are examples of such pieces. Some of them can
be used independently but the more sophisticated solutions combine the
different modules into a seamless omnichannel solution.

Examples of software in a queue management system: Examples of hardware in a queue management system:

Online appointment booking Self-service kiosk

Virtual queuing via smartphone Ticket printers

Staff apps to arrive and serve customers Digital signage

Customer and staff notifications Display

Real-time monitoring of operations Media Player

Customer feedback surveys Vision and Sound

Extensive statistics and analyses

BENEFITS OF A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
BENEFITS OF A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A queue management system enables you to
practically manage customers throughout their
interactions with your organization and make that
journey as comfortable and smooth as possible. It also
helps you understand how your customers and
employees engage, providing you the insights you
need to improve both the customer experience and the
operational efficiency.
On the next page are some benefits of a Queue
Management System.
Improve access to services with appointment scheduling Allow customers to wait wherever they prefer with a mobile ticket
By offering customers to schedule appointments, you can Enable customers to get a mobile ticket instead of a physical one with your
estimate the expected number of customers. Queue Management System. This means that the customer can wait where
they like and spend their time wisely which both decreases the risk of
crowded lobbies and increases the customer's waiting experience.

Decrease actual waiting time by better time management

The Queue Management System helps you identify how you can
streamline the entire customer journey. Enable staff planning and increase staff mobility
Gathering real-time data, the Queue Management System can facilitate
the manager's staff planning. It helps managers get a balanced and
controlled waiting period and distribute staff where they are most needed.
Reduce customer uncertainty with notifications and messaging
With a Queue Management System, customers can get SMS or email
notifications with reminders of their appointments, information about how Match the right competence to each case
to prepare for their appointment and even self-check-in links. With
messaging through for example digital signage, it is possible to share A Queue Management System enables organizations to segment customers
details such as the number of open counters, services offered, current in different queues, rather than entering all customers in the same line.
waiting, and transaction times.

Improve personalization of service delivery

A Queue Management System offers several opportunities for
Keep customers entertained with media solutions in the improved personalization.
waiting area
By integrating media displays with a Queue Management
Identify bottlenecks and improve
System you keep the waiting customer both entertained and
informed, which in turn decreases their perceived waiting time. By gathering data throughout the customer journey, such as service times
and waiting times, you can get a complete overview of your current service
performance.
WHICH INDUSTRIES
BENEFIT THE MOST OF A
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM?
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
There is an ongoing digital transformation in the public sector where
more and more government offices implement a modern and digital
queue management solution. The Covid-19 pandemic has
increased the speed of this transformation and many government
offices have looked for a solution that also ensures a safe customer
journey and staff work environment. A Queue Management System
can enable a safe queueing experience while providing service
providers with conditions to deliver high-quality services and
improve customers' satisfaction.
Government offices face many challenges today. Skill shortage,
efficiency targets, and limited budgets are a few examples. With a
queue management system, you can get the most value from your
resources without having too many employees on hand.
On the page Queuing solutions for government offices, you can
learn more about the benefits of Queue Management Systems in
public services & government offices.
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS IN HOSPITALS
Everyday healthcare facilities get visited by generally worried
patients, stressed, and sometimes even in pain. If you want
to improve the patient experience, you need to create a
comfortable environment.
Most healthcare facilities are under pressure to provide high-
quality service while coping with limited resources. These
circumstances usually create a very stressful experience for
both patients and staff alike.
To create a comfortable environment for both patients and
staff, you need to streamline your operation. In the article
Queue Management Systems in hospitals, you can read
more about how Queue Management Systems can help you
improve your healthcare facility; in the end, you can find
some results that previous hospitals have achieved.
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS IN RETAIL
Retail customers shop online, on mobile, and in-store. As customers'
expectations increase, you, as a retailer, need to create a seamless and
flawless customer journey.
By implementing a Queue Management System, you can get the insights to
understand, anticipate, and meet the customer's expectations.
Within a Queue Management System, many features help retailers improve
customer experience; here are some examples:

Location-based mobile app

Make it easy for customers to find your store with a location-based
mobile app and make it easy for them to purchase online and pick up
their purchase at your store.

Mobile queueing
Let customers check-in via their mobile phone and make it easier for
them to browse your store.

SMS and digital signage

Reduce actual and perceived waiting times by keeping the customer
updated via SMS or digital signage.
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS IN BANKS
The service quality and customer experience are crucial for
banks today. If you do not live up to customer expectations,
it's easier than ever before for them to shift bank.
You need to increase the perception of your bank. However,
striving for an instant service experience often requires many
employees and can lead to unsustainable costs in the long
run.
By implementing a Queue Management System, banks can
improve the efficiency and quality of service without
increasing the cost too much. In the article, Queue
Management Systems in banks, you can read more about
how banks can benefit from replacing traditional analog
queue systems, with new modern Queue Management
Systems.
HOW DOES A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
WORK?
HOW DOES A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
WORK?
It's important to understand that a Queue Management
System is not about eliminating waiting times. Striving for
an instant service experience is very expensive as it
requires too many employees on hand. Instead, a queue
management system is about managing the customers'
waiting experience.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE
BEST QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
HOW TO CHOOSE THE
BEST QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
As a service provider you can choose between less
and more complex Queue Management Systems. In
this chapter we have highlighted some main things to
consider when choosing a supplier and a system. You
can use these features to compare different options
and discover the system that best suits your needs.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A
QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SUPPLIER
The key criteria when selecting a Queue Management System supplier:

Proven track record

Experience of Queue Management in your industry

Understanding your specific visitors’ issues and experience

The ability to engage all stakeholders

Project management expertise

Flexible pricing or total cost of ownership to accommodate your budget and needs, now and in the future

Integration support
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN
CHOOSING A QUEUE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
On the next page are some important factors to consider
when choosing a Queue Management System:
Security Ability to match customer needs with employee skills
The solution should ensure that customer data is secured and protected A more streamlined process that connects customers to the right
and that there is functionality to assist with GDPR compliance. employee is the key to handle higher demands more efficiently.

Scalability
Allows third party integration
Should the solution be able to accommodate growing demands when your
organization or service grows, or when customers’ demands expand? In the need of customization, the system needs to allow additional third-party
features to be built on top if required.

Offer omnichannel solutions Ability to handle changes without disrupting the flow
A wide range of demography may require services in physical and/or
A Queue Management System should be able to handle both
digital environments, so consider an omnichannel solution that can cater
appointment and walk-in visitors and adapt if someone cancels or
to the requirements through various channels, without any gaps.
comes late.

Integrated, from pre-arrival through post-service

Easy to configure and possible to personalize the
To improve your customer journey, you need to consider all user interface
customer touch points. Ensure your system integrates physical
and digital channels seamlessly. Organizations are not all the same, and neither are their customers,
so the solution should be configurable to manage all the different
requirements.

Collection of data at all touch points

Get the insights needed to improve and streamline your service
performance by investing in a system that gather data from all customer
touch points.
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM PRICE
The price of a queue management system really depends
on what the requirements are. It ranges from a simple
manual ticketing dispenser all the way to a fully flexible
customer journey management solution integrated with the
rest of the business.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT A
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
HOW TO IMPLEMENT A
QUEUE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
The supplier installs and configures the system, but there are
some steps you need to think about throughout the
implementation phase. On the next page are a few examples
of what we recommend organizations to consider when
implementing a Queue Management System.
IDENTIFY YOUR
BUSINESS NEEDS
The required functions of a Queue Management
System vary among organizations, industries, and
countries. Therefore, you'll need to thoroughly identify
your needs together with the supplier as the first step.
As stated in the article, How to reduce customer wait
times with automation, Steve Jobs once said, “You start
with the customer and work backwards with the
technology.” When identifying your needs, start with
creating a list of all the services you provide. Make sure
you separate between the services you provide and the
services you perform. It’s a big difference.
Walk the customer journey yourself. By actually going
through each customer touch point, you can easily
detect gaps and breaks in your customer journey.
SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES
To ensure high quality, cost savings, and effective timings
during the implementation phase, we recommend that
organizations mutually agree on objectives and expectations
and plan the implementation together with the Queue
Management System supplier.
In the article, How to reduce customer wait times with
automation, the author define the service level as the
maximum time that it is okay for the customer to wait in a
queue. One important objective when implementing a Queue
Management System is to define this acceptable wait time
for each queue. Then you can configure the system to call
the customer closest to the end of his/her service level.
TEST THE SYSTEM BEFORE LAUNCH
After the supplier has configured the software and installed the hardware on
your premise, you must get time to test and verify that the solution meets your
objectives and expectations.

Develop the right skill sets Evaluate and refine

To maximize the value of the Queue Management System, Make sure you continually evaluate your results from the
your employees must develop the right skill sets. We Queue Management System. Does it solve your needs and
recommend that you require proper training from your meet your objectives? Have a close dialogue with your
supplier. supplier to refine if needed.
THANK YOU!
Managing customers' waiting experience throughout
their entire customer journey is an essential part of
delighting your customers and improving your business.

If you would like to talk to an expert about how a queue

management system can help your organization, click
on the button below.

Talk to an expert

To be able to click the button

above, please view presentation
in full screen mode