Glossary A–ZLetter Q
Queue management system
A queue management system hands out waiting numbers, calls people to a free counter and shows the current status on a wall display.
The number usually comes from a ticket machine at the entrance or is issued at registration.
Queue management systems are used in medical practices, public offices, citizens' service centres and the service areas of shops. Staff call the next number at their desk, and the wall display shows the number and the counter, often with a sound. Some systems also send the number to the visitor's phone so that people can leave the room while they wait. Between calls, the display can show notices or opening hours.
The data can be used to analyse waiting and handling times. An average easily hides the long waits on individual days or hours; the distribution says more. Anyone who calls out names instead of numbers should first clarify what data protection requires in their setting. A waiting time on the display seems more reliable when it is shown as a range rather than a fixed number of minutes.