The Internet of Things (IoT) promises an interconnected web of data, communication, and devices. The question is, are the solutions you're relying on in each of these three areas truly connected? Or are they a patchwork of technologies, each promising value but none delivering the complete answer you need to optimize productivity, boost labor efficiency, and empower associates?
It's one thing to be connected as the IoT promises. It's another to put that 'connectedness' to work in a seamless and productive way to create real value in your business.
When it comes to queue management, here are three qualities to look for as you put the IoT to work for your business:
1. Accurate data collection
It’s not enough to generally estimate how many people move through a space on a given day. You need more precision to create a quality customer experience - you need to understand the customer’s actual experience.
Sensors or other people counting technology should provide highly accurate counts, even in environments with changing light or temperature as well as in irregular-shaped or complex spaces with structural impediments. Sometimes you need to count from various angles or set a few sensors in a path and stitch the counts together seamlessly to accurately track the customer’s journey.
Further, know that employee traffic in a space can confuse the data, so you want to choose a system with the ability to detect staff from customers without stepping over any privacy concerns. Make your data count by selecting technology that gives you reliable, accurate information.
2. Real-time analysis
Once you have it, do you know how to make the most of your queue analytics data? The answer is: use it NOW, in real time. With relevant information in the moment, you are most able to do something about it.
You can immediately allocate labor to serve actual traffic, optimizing staff efficiency as well as recognizing and immediately seeing to any customer flow issues such as a long queue, traffic blockage, or a customer surge.
When it comes to keeping customers happy, serving them real-time can make or break customer loyalty. Choosing queue technology solutions with real time analysis will help you better meet the needs of staff, customers, and the business as a whole.
3. Actionable insights and automation
With the right information, the right actions can follow - for customers and staff alike. Choose a system with built in automations and alert systems to help you meet and exceed your company KPIs and your customers’ expectations.
From a centralized dashboard or even a mobile device, a well integrated holistic system will turn your data and real time analysis into automated responses and alerts with recommended actions to make your management more efficient and more effective. You can let staff know where to be to make the most of their time and you can let customers know how long they can expect to wait. You can even tell them real time where to go to find the shortest wait or call them forward to the next available agent automatically. Customers appreciate communication, especially when it saves them time.
Integration is what will set your solution (and your company) apart. And when it comes to queue management, Lavi is delivering the total solution with productive results. We are collecting data with up to 99% accuracy, analyzing it based on insights related to your company goals, and sending it back to use in meaningful ways in real time.
