Queue management system

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A Queue Management System is the organisation of queues of people within a retail or public sector department. This can be reactive, through a Queue Management System (Q.M.S) that can organise the existing queue, or proactive, through the queue management statistics gathering system, so that trends can be identified and anticipated.

Queue Management Systems (Q.M.S) work by streamlining front-end operations into centralised contact points, enabling managers to monitor and set performance thresholds.

Either people join a standing in line queue, and are directed to the next free position by the system, or visitor are issued with a ticket.

The Ticket Issuing Process consists of the customer arriving at the establishment ready to join a queue relevant to their particular enquiry tye. The customer is then issued a numbered ticket and is placed in a virtual queue.

Businesses are recognising that Great Britain has an ageing population, and public service providers have to make provision for the Disability Act. Wih a ticketed system, the customer is taken out of a waiting in line scenario and catheir own resources according to visitor demands. Queue Management Systems (Q.M.S) can be tailored n wait in a more relaxed environment Businesses are empowered to manage o inform customers and members of staff that customers are waiting to be served and make calls to action. Queue analysis starts to make an immediate impact.

The genesis of Queue Management Systems (Q.M.S) began in the 1970's when the U.K. based company Lonsto (International) Ltd introduced the systems into the public domain. The products penetration was subtantial and such Queue Management Systems (Q.M.S) can now be found in every day life, from doctor's surgeries and airports and from banks to deli counters.

There are two waiting environments for queues of people within the public and retail sector.

The “Waiting in Line” Environment Known as the head of queue, the visitor joins a line of customers stood waiting, and upon reaching the front (or head) of the queue, the visitor is guided to the next available serving terminal.

The “Relaxed” Waiting Environment Visitors are invited to obtain a ticket and wait in a relaxed area with comfortable seating, often with reading material or audio-visual entertainment. This helps to relax the customer and provide a pleasant wait.

Queue Management Systems (Q.M.S) can provide solutions for both types of waiting environment. Both client requirements and queuing environments are an essential part of designing the most cost-effective queuing solution. This determines how the system will be used on a daily basis to maximise efficiency and organise queues.