Your Guide To Digital Queue Management Systems (With Digital Signage)

Waiting in line tends to be something that we just accept is part of life, but times have changed. Digital queue management systems can now help businesses to organise their queues better. By using digital signage to speed up the queuing process, they can make waiting times feel shorter and less stressful for our customers/site visitors.

Digital queue management systems come in many forms. They start with small systems like restaurant pagers that notify diners when their table is ready. They can go up to large-scale systems that manage thousands of people queueing online to buy concert tickets before they sell out.

As a digital signage consultancy, our expertise lies in managing medium-sized, in-person queueing systems using digital displays.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• The key components of a digital queue management system
• How digital signage is used in queue management
• The benefits and potential drawbacks of implementing a digital queuing system
• How to implement one in your business
• Final Thoughts

What is a digital queue management system?

Before we start looking at when and why you should use a queue management system with digital signage, let’s consider what one is, and what the main components are.

• Digital signage displays: These display-only screens (as opposed to touchscreen displays) are used in waiting areas to show the current ticket number or name being called and, if appropriate, they’ll direct people to the right room/counter. Alternatively, a simpler system may just direct people at the front of a queue to an available service counter to speed up waiting times. All of your digital signage systems can be customised to match your branding and can display targeted messages alongside the queuing system.
• Kiosk enclosure: These are usually freestanding or wall-mounted and house a small touchscreen display and sometimes a ticket printer. The touchscreen interface is what people use to register their arrival/join the queue. People can be prompted to take a printed ticket with a number on it that holds their place in a queue, or users can be asked to input relevant details if they’re arriving for a pre-registered appointment. NB: Not all digital queue management systems have a registration system.
• Software application: This is a complex piece of software that is used to coordinate the ticket numbers and ensures real-time updates appear on the displays so the right people’s names/numbers appear in the right order. The type you need will depend on what functionality you want to have.
• Content management software platform: This is used to manage what happens on/with each display, enabling you to decide when they are switched on/off and what type of content appears on them and when. This is especially useful if you are splitting your on-screen content so you can show two things at once (e.g. queuing numbers and news/weather updates).
• Internet connection: Generally speaking, for any digital queuing system, you’ll need internet access to enable the software applications to work.

How is digital signage used in queue management?

The only limit to what you can do with digital signage queuing systems tends to be your imagination and/or your budget. Below are just a few examples of how it can be used.

• Display wait times and queue status: Digital screens can display real-time updates on wait times, current queue numbers, and which counter or advisor is available. This can keep your customers informed, reducing the frustration of them not knowing how much longer they’ll need to wait, and managing their expectations. Giving people a likely wait time puts them in the driving seat and means they can decide if they should: sit and wait, go and buy a coffee and then come back, or to leave completely and come back later when the queue is likely to have gone down.
• Guidance & directions: Digital screens can direct your visitors/patients to the relevant staff member or location at an appropriate time. This is very effective on large sites that can be confusing for people to navigate such as hospitals.
• Promotional purposes: Queue management displays can be used to display promotional content to show off products/services that people may want to take advantage of, or to deliver educational campaigns. For example, a bank might use queue management screens to tell customers about investment opportunities, whilst also showing the relevant queueing info.
• Entertainment: While customers wait, digital signage can display branded content, educational videos, or even entertainment (e.g. news channels) to provide a welcome distraction from the process of queueing.
• Showcasing your brand personality: Queue management screens offer a great opportunity to strengthen your brand. Use them to highlight company values and CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities to enhance people’s perceptions of your organisation.

Pros and cons of using digital queue management systems

Before you set up a digital queue management system you’ll need to fully understand all the potential benefits and downsides. We’ve made a list of some of the most obvious pros and cons of using one.

Pros

• Reduced perceived waiting times: By keeping your customers/visitors informed, letting them move around freely, and providing visual distractions, digital queue management tends to change people’s perceptions of their waiting time and avoids them feeling as frustrated.
• Ability to promote products/services: Digital signage displays can be used to show promotions or information about your products or services while your customers wait, offering cross-selling and/or upselling opportunities and increasing engagement.
• Reduced stress for staff: A well-organised queue management system helps reduce the strain on staff by decreasing the chances of them having to deal with frustrated customers/site visitors, which can make their work life calmer and more enjoyable.
• Operational efficiency: Queue management displays can be used to give instructions to waiting customers/visitors  (e.g. having relevant documentation/personal details to hand). This will reduce the average amount of time staff members spend with each person, enabling them to see more people in the same amount of time.
• Data collection for staffing insights: Many digital queue management systems can collect data on peak times, average wait durations, and customer flow. This data can be used to adjust your staffing levels and predict busy periods, improving service and efficiency.
• Monetisation through advertising: Queue management screens can double as valuable advertising space, showcasing promotions or services to a captive audience. You can generate additional revenue by allowing third parties to advertise on these screens, targeting customers while they wait. This turns the queuing process into a marketing opportunity, maximising the ROI (return on investment) of the digital signage system.
• Influence brand perceptions: Displays can be used to convey positive messages such as CSR activity and to convey brand personality to create a more positive connection with the organisation.

Cons

• Initial investment: The hardware, installation, and setup of a digital queue management system can represent a significant upfront cost, which might be prohibitive for some smaller businesses (though purchasing equipment on finance can be an option for some).
• Ongoing costs: Digital queue management systems require power, Wi-Fi, and subscription fees for cloud-based platforms, which all add to the overall running cost.
• Potential for technical glitches: Digital queue systems rely on various hardware and software components. If there’s a technical issue, it can disrupt the system, leading to confusion for both customers and staff. As such, it’s wise to invest in a tech support package to make sure that any problems are short-lived.
• Content creation: If you want to use your queue management to show content other than queue management information, for example, promotional or educational content, you will need to factor in resources/budget for creating and managing this content.

Implementing a digital queue management system – a step-by-step guide

1. Assess your needs/objectives: You should start the process by identifying the specific challenges your organisation faces with queues. Are all site visitors/customers frustrated by long wait times or is it just at peak times? Do visitors get lost/confused about where they’re supposed to go? How much space do you have for people to wait in? Understanding the pain points will help you choose the right system to address them. Set clear goals for your digital queue management system—whether it’s reducing wait times, improving the customer/visitor experience, or increasing revenue through advertising.
2. Design the ideal customer and staff journey: Think about how digital signage can improve your customer’s experience from start to finish. Are there any other business issues that your new queuing system could assist with? For example, could site visitors be prompted to have specific information to hand when they reach a service desk, which would streamline interactions with staff? What would be best for your business’s situation: printed numbered tickets, service counter directions, or appointment check-in? You may find it easier to go through this process with a digital signage/AV consultancy who can make suggestions for what is and isn’t possible with the budget you have available.
3. Review potential legal & compliance requirements: Ensure that your planned system complies with data protection laws and is accessible to all (for example to those with visual impairment and wheelchair users). A good AV/digital signage consultancy should be able to help you with avoiding any accessibility issues.
4. Plan your hardware setup: Once you’ve decided on the system, you’ll need to choose the appropriate hardware. You’ll need to consider factors like the positioning and appropriate size of displays. Again, we would recommend you appoint an experienced digital signage/AV consultancy who will give you guidance on getting the right size and type of hardware for your budget and needs.
5. Integrate with existing systems: You now need to appoint someone to set up and integrate your hardware and software. Don’t forget to consider whether your digital queue management system should integrate with other business systems, such as your customer relationship management (CRM) tools, booking platforms, or POS systems.
6. Train your staff: Once your system is set up, you’ll need to train your staff on how to use it. Make sure your team understands how the system works, how to help customers who may have difficulty navigating the technology, and how to address any technical issues that may arise.
7. Test the system: Before launching, conduct testing of the entire system to ensure that staff are confident in how to use the live system. This includes checking the hardware setup, ensuring integration with any other business systems, and running test scenarios to simulate different levels of traffic. Testing helps identify potential issues, ensuring the system operates smoothly when customers start using it.
8. Launch & monitor performance: Once the system is live, it’s important to monitor its performance closely. Keep an eye on key metrics like wait times and customer satisfaction. If any issues arise, make adjustments as needed, whether that’s tweaking the software, adjusting wait time displays, or improving the layout of your queueing area. Gather feedback from both customers and staff. Look for areas of improvement, such as more intuitive kiosks, better queue visibility, or quicker ticket printing. Use this feedback to refine and optimise your system over time.

Final Thoughts

Digital queue management is transforming the way organisations handle customer/visitor/patient flow. It’s all about making the wait feel shorter, more predictable, and less frustrating. Although there are costs and some operational adjustments to consider, the benefits of increased efficiency, improved customer experience, actionable insights and additional marketing opportunities far outweigh the drawbacks for most businesses.

So, whether you’re managing queues in a clinic, a bank, or a busy retail store, with the multiple benefits they offer, digital queue management systems could be a game-changer for your business.

At Saturn Visual Solutions, we’re here to help you explore digital queue management and to find a solution that make sense for your business. To learn more please fill in the form below or email sales@saturnvisual.com