The system of electronic queue in the banking business
The view of the expert on IT-development of the Future Technologies company Moskaleva Marina on the functionality of the electronic queue system in the banking business.
Much has already been said about the indisputable benefits of introducing IT into the financial sector and the incredible transformations that can occur as a result of the modernization of banking after introducing technological innovations, so let's get down to business without further ado.
At first glance, the configuration of the queue management system for bank branches is standard. Its main hardware components:
But under a fairly simple hardware configuration, there are serious software features that allow you to automate the maintenance process.
Specialization of jobs. The essence of this function is that the client who has chosen the necessary service will be sent to a specific bank employee who specializes in this particular issue. Specialization of jobs assumes the possibility of using the principle of priority in the distribution of client flow. If we consider in practice, we can give a simple example. Imagine that the main window service number 1 is the payment of utility bills (high priority). Accordingly, first of all, customers wishing to pay for utilities will be called to service window No. 1. In this case, if necessary, for the same maintenance window, you can add a refill service (by assigning it a low priority). Then, in the absence of customers for the payment of utility bills, customers with a second priority service will be called out to window No. 1 Similarly, you can add other services by setting the priority value in a numeric expression.
Routing services. Sequential automatic client referral to several windows, if it is necessary to receive the service. For example, opening a deposit requires a contract with the operator, then depositing money at the cashier, then returning to the operator to receive the documents. After registering a client for the service of opening a deposit, he will be called to the window operator engaged in the execution of documents. The principle of routing assumes that after performing its functions, the bank employee does not need to choose which window to send the client to next - he simply presses the “By route” button, and the system itself calls the bank visitor to all windows corresponding to the route specified for this service. .
Postponing customer service. A situation may arise when an already called up customer for servicing is required to fill in some documents, for example, a loan application form or a money transfer form. In this case, the operator has the opportunity to postpone customer service for 5, 10 minutes or any other time, and in the resulting interval to serve the next person in turn. After the time for which the call of the first visitor was postponed, the system will call him to the same operator automatically.
Selection of several services. If a client needs to perform several banking operations in one visit to a branch, it is possible to select all required services at once and register for them with one coupon number. In this case, the client will be called to the service, the operator of which will be released in the first place, and then, as far as possible, to all the others. Two points need to be noted here. First, while one service is being provided, the system blocks this client number to call on other issues, that is, the client cannot be called up simultaneously in two windows. Second, a visitor called for one banking operation does not lose his turn on other services, the system will embed his number in the queue exactly at the ordinal position that he had at the time of registration.
Customer priority. Certain categories of VIP customers in the system can be given priority service (for example, holders of Gold and Platinum cards). The system will automatically put such visitors at the top of the queue for the selected service. Identification can be done by reading a bank card, in this case, the registration terminal must be equipped with a card reader. In addition, identification of the card can be carried out by entering its number using the virtual keyboard or using biometric technology.
Pre-entry. A client can sign up for service in advance using the bank's website or a mobile application and go to the branch at a convenient time for him. Pre-recording is activated at the registration terminal by entering a unique code or scanning a bar code.
SMS alert. If, when selecting a service at the terminal, the predicted service waiting time exceeds a specified amount (for example, 1 hour), the client will be asked to enter a phone number for additional SMS informing in the format “Your number ... will be called after 15 minutes. Please come to the office. ” In addition, it is possible to read the QR code from the received coupon and track your turn online using a smartphone. This will allow the client not to sit in the waiting area for a long time.
Multilingual. For international banks, as well as for branches located in the regions of the Russian Federation that have their own national language, you can use the multilingual interface of the system. When registering at the terminal or pre-recording, first of all, the client is invited to choose a language. It is in this language that the service names, the text of the printed coupon, the text of SMS messages will be displayed, and a voice call for service will also be announced.
Advertising opportunities. On the main information board, in addition to displaying the called numbers, you can display commercials or make announcements in the marquee format. In addition to advertising on an information board, there is the possibility of displaying advertising banners on the terminal itself. For example, when selecting the main section “Credits”, the client enters the submenu of operations related to this section, in which information on special offers on credits will be displayed. Also, advertising information in text form can be printed on the ticket, here it will depend on the service chosen by the client.
Collection of statistics. The queue management system has ample opportunities to collect and visualize statistical information about the customer service process. Reports are generated in Excel format in tabular and graphical form. From them you can get the data:
Statistical reports in the automatic mode according to a predetermined schedule are sent to the e-mail of the responsible person.
Centralization. For banks that have an extensive branch network, it is important to use a centralization module that allows you to manage the settings of the queue management system in each branch from the central office. The centralization module allows you to exchange data (update the list of services provided, commercials, text running text, exchange rates, statistical information about the service, as well as the software of the queue management system) automatically on a schedule or manually. An additional online monitoring module allows you to track information about the service process in the branches online, including highlighting the excess of critical indicators of the service process and data from surveillance cameras.
Quality control. Often the queue management system is supplemented by a module for assessing the quality of service. Quality assessment can be carried out using the keypad (scoring) or in expanded form by filling out the questionnaire on the tablet. The quality assessment module also allows you to receive service statistics in various sections. For scoring by time periods and operators, for questioning on any questionnaire questionnaire (for example, by gender, age or income).
And these are just the main functions of the system. In fact, the potential for realizing opportunities is almost limitless. Having experience of cooperation with customers from various business areas, we can confidently say that virtually any requests coming to us, we consider them privately and often come up with some non-standard solutions that allow you to use the system to the maximum functionally.
The software of the queue management system is constantly being improved and refined in accordance with the requirements of the market and the needs of customers. Some of the latest improvements applicable to the banking industry include:
QR code. Remote viewing information board. On the printed ticket with the queue number there is a generated QR code that allows you to track the queue status using a smartphone. The client, reading this QR code by any mobile application for its recognition, receives a link, the transition on which displays a page with data about the called numbers of clients. These data are similar to those displayed on the information board in the department. Thus, it becomes unnecessary for the client to be present directly in view of the board.
Fixing the exchange rate. We have created the possibility of fixing the course at the time of printing the coupon. The fixed course displayed on the ticket will be displayed in the operator’s console interface in relation to the client number. Data on exchange rates are imported from the banking information system automatically. This service may be necessary in the case of updating the exchange rate in the middle of the working day, in order to avoid situations where one is at the time of registration of a client in a queue and another at the time of service.
Appearance mode. For banks, it is important to correctly determine not only the waiting time, but also the customer service time. If the waiting time is fixed quite accurately (the period from the moment of registration until the moment of calling for service), the service time used to be taken into account was not entirely correct. Before the introduction of improvements, this indicator was considered as the period from the moment of calling the client until the confirmation of the end of service In offices with a large number of operators and a complex configuration of the waiting area, the visitor cannot always immediately find out where the window in which he was called is located. A certain amount of time is spent on the search, which should not be counted as maintenance time. To solve this question, we created the opportunity to ask a certain value of the average amount of time it takes the client to get to the window. Accordingly, this time is not included in the total service time.
Workplace without an operator. It happens that a potential client does not come to the department for financial transactions, but in order to get professional advice. To provide such a service, a full-fledged operator’s workplace is not required, consultation can be held in the meeting room or simply at a separate table in the waiting area. Such a workplace is present in the queue management system, which calls the client there, and any free consultant can become an operator. The fact that the service is provided by this consultant is recorded in the system or by the hall administrator at the reception, or by the head of the department. This possibility is also in demand if the consultation is conducted by a specialist who is not on the staff of this division of the bank. For example, a client through a system of pre-registration is registered at a convenient office for an investment consultation, and there is no financial adviser in this department; then he will come specifically from the central office and meet with the client in a meeting room.
Delayed visit. If a client comes to the bank at the time of peak load and sees a large number of people waiting, he can use the option of pre-registration for the current day when choosing a service at the terminal. For example, specify the time of the visit in an hour or two. In this case, he can be sure that his number will not be called earlier than at the specified time.
Available medium. The implementation of the state program “Accessible Environment” has not bypassed the queue management system. Increasingly, solutions for people with disabilities are being introduced into the software and hardware of the system. This includes displaying the service selection interface in contrasting colorographic schemes, screen magnifier mode, voice notification with a built-in induction loop, additional buttons on the terminal in Braille, voice menu, variable terminal height and other features.
Integration with access control. The queue management system can be integrated with the access control system if there are service areas, access to which should be limited, for example, deposit cells. Confirmation of access authorization can be carried out by scanning the bar code on the coupon with the client number (call confirmation), as well as additionally using biometric technologies (identity confirmation).
Biometrics technology. Biometrics technologies are used to identify VIP-clients at the time of their registration at the terminal queue to confirm the priority of service. For this, the terminal is additionally equipped with a camera for face recognition or a fingerprint scanner.
Also, such technologies are used in the case of integration of the queue management system with the access control system to confirm identity when accessing special repositories. In this case, you can use not only the identification of the person on the face or fingerprint, but the voice identification or iris scan.
It should be noted here that no personal customer data is stored in the database of the queue management system, all identification information is transmitted directly to the banking information system, from which only confirmation of this customer’s priority comes.
That is, as we can see, the potential for the development and implementation of new technologies is massive. It all depends on the specific needs of the people with whom we cooperate. And to use the standard set of functions of the system or to break your head and create something new, this is already a question of the desire to develop your business and the desire to make it as efficient as possible.
Much has already been said about the indisputable benefits of introducing IT into the financial sector and the incredible transformations that can occur as a result of the modernization of banking after introducing technological innovations, so let's get down to business without further ado.
The beginning of time
At first glance, the configuration of the queue management system for bank branches is standard. Its main hardware components:
- registration terminal for the visitor to select the required service and receive a coupon with a number;
') - a general information board displaying all customer numbers called to the operators of one service area;
- scoreboard at the workplace of the employee, which indicates the number of the client, called directly to this employee of the bank;
- Visitor Call Console is most often implemented in software as an application installed on the operator’s computer. It is also an important point for banks, if the security policy prohibits installing third-party software directly on the computer, the operator console can be installed on a tablet connected to the operator’s workplace
But under a fairly simple hardware configuration, there are serious software features that allow you to automate the maintenance process.
12 functionality of the system, relevant for banks
Specialization of jobs. The essence of this function is that the client who has chosen the necessary service will be sent to a specific bank employee who specializes in this particular issue. Specialization of jobs assumes the possibility of using the principle of priority in the distribution of client flow. If we consider in practice, we can give a simple example. Imagine that the main window service number 1 is the payment of utility bills (high priority). Accordingly, first of all, customers wishing to pay for utilities will be called to service window No. 1. In this case, if necessary, for the same maintenance window, you can add a refill service (by assigning it a low priority). Then, in the absence of customers for the payment of utility bills, customers with a second priority service will be called out to window No. 1 Similarly, you can add other services by setting the priority value in a numeric expression.
Routing services. Sequential automatic client referral to several windows, if it is necessary to receive the service. For example, opening a deposit requires a contract with the operator, then depositing money at the cashier, then returning to the operator to receive the documents. After registering a client for the service of opening a deposit, he will be called to the window operator engaged in the execution of documents. The principle of routing assumes that after performing its functions, the bank employee does not need to choose which window to send the client to next - he simply presses the “By route” button, and the system itself calls the bank visitor to all windows corresponding to the route specified for this service. .
Postponing customer service. A situation may arise when an already called up customer for servicing is required to fill in some documents, for example, a loan application form or a money transfer form. In this case, the operator has the opportunity to postpone customer service for 5, 10 minutes or any other time, and in the resulting interval to serve the next person in turn. After the time for which the call of the first visitor was postponed, the system will call him to the same operator automatically.
Selection of several services. If a client needs to perform several banking operations in one visit to a branch, it is possible to select all required services at once and register for them with one coupon number. In this case, the client will be called to the service, the operator of which will be released in the first place, and then, as far as possible, to all the others. Two points need to be noted here. First, while one service is being provided, the system blocks this client number to call on other issues, that is, the client cannot be called up simultaneously in two windows. Second, a visitor called for one banking operation does not lose his turn on other services, the system will embed his number in the queue exactly at the ordinal position that he had at the time of registration.
Customer priority. Certain categories of VIP customers in the system can be given priority service (for example, holders of Gold and Platinum cards). The system will automatically put such visitors at the top of the queue for the selected service. Identification can be done by reading a bank card, in this case, the registration terminal must be equipped with a card reader. In addition, identification of the card can be carried out by entering its number using the virtual keyboard or using biometric technology.
Pre-entry. A client can sign up for service in advance using the bank's website or a mobile application and go to the branch at a convenient time for him. Pre-recording is activated at the registration terminal by entering a unique code or scanning a bar code.
SMS alert. If, when selecting a service at the terminal, the predicted service waiting time exceeds a specified amount (for example, 1 hour), the client will be asked to enter a phone number for additional SMS informing in the format “Your number ... will be called after 15 minutes. Please come to the office. ” In addition, it is possible to read the QR code from the received coupon and track your turn online using a smartphone. This will allow the client not to sit in the waiting area for a long time.
Multilingual. For international banks, as well as for branches located in the regions of the Russian Federation that have their own national language, you can use the multilingual interface of the system. When registering at the terminal or pre-recording, first of all, the client is invited to choose a language. It is in this language that the service names, the text of the printed coupon, the text of SMS messages will be displayed, and a voice call for service will also be announced.
Advertising opportunities. On the main information board, in addition to displaying the called numbers, you can display commercials or make announcements in the marquee format. In addition to advertising on an information board, there is the possibility of displaying advertising banners on the terminal itself. For example, when selecting the main section “Credits”, the client enters the submenu of operations related to this section, in which information on special offers on credits will be displayed. Also, advertising information in text form can be printed on the ticket, here it will depend on the service chosen by the client.
Collection of statistics. The queue management system has ample opportunities to collect and visualize statistical information about the customer service process. Reports are generated in Excel format in tabular and graphical form. From them you can get the data:
- about the number of clients served by each service, each operator and in the aggregate throughout the department;
- average service and standby times;
- the number of customers with waiting times exceeding the norm;
- pre-registration lists and other indicators
Statistical reports in the automatic mode according to a predetermined schedule are sent to the e-mail of the responsible person.
Centralization. For banks that have an extensive branch network, it is important to use a centralization module that allows you to manage the settings of the queue management system in each branch from the central office. The centralization module allows you to exchange data (update the list of services provided, commercials, text running text, exchange rates, statistical information about the service, as well as the software of the queue management system) automatically on a schedule or manually. An additional online monitoring module allows you to track information about the service process in the branches online, including highlighting the excess of critical indicators of the service process and data from surveillance cameras.
Quality control. Often the queue management system is supplemented by a module for assessing the quality of service. Quality assessment can be carried out using the keypad (scoring) or in expanded form by filling out the questionnaire on the tablet. The quality assessment module also allows you to receive service statistics in various sections. For scoring by time periods and operators, for questioning on any questionnaire questionnaire (for example, by gender, age or income).
And these are just the main functions of the system. In fact, the potential for realizing opportunities is almost limitless. Having experience of cooperation with customers from various business areas, we can confidently say that virtually any requests coming to us, we consider them privately and often come up with some non-standard solutions that allow you to use the system to the maximum functionally.
From new
The software of the queue management system is constantly being improved and refined in accordance with the requirements of the market and the needs of customers. Some of the latest improvements applicable to the banking industry include:
QR code. Remote viewing information board. On the printed ticket with the queue number there is a generated QR code that allows you to track the queue status using a smartphone. The client, reading this QR code by any mobile application for its recognition, receives a link, the transition on which displays a page with data about the called numbers of clients. These data are similar to those displayed on the information board in the department. Thus, it becomes unnecessary for the client to be present directly in view of the board.
Fixing the exchange rate. We have created the possibility of fixing the course at the time of printing the coupon. The fixed course displayed on the ticket will be displayed in the operator’s console interface in relation to the client number. Data on exchange rates are imported from the banking information system automatically. This service may be necessary in the case of updating the exchange rate in the middle of the working day, in order to avoid situations where one is at the time of registration of a client in a queue and another at the time of service.
Appearance mode. For banks, it is important to correctly determine not only the waiting time, but also the customer service time. If the waiting time is fixed quite accurately (the period from the moment of registration until the moment of calling for service), the service time used to be taken into account was not entirely correct. Before the introduction of improvements, this indicator was considered as the period from the moment of calling the client until the confirmation of the end of service In offices with a large number of operators and a complex configuration of the waiting area, the visitor cannot always immediately find out where the window in which he was called is located. A certain amount of time is spent on the search, which should not be counted as maintenance time. To solve this question, we created the opportunity to ask a certain value of the average amount of time it takes the client to get to the window. Accordingly, this time is not included in the total service time.
Workplace without an operator. It happens that a potential client does not come to the department for financial transactions, but in order to get professional advice. To provide such a service, a full-fledged operator’s workplace is not required, consultation can be held in the meeting room or simply at a separate table in the waiting area. Such a workplace is present in the queue management system, which calls the client there, and any free consultant can become an operator. The fact that the service is provided by this consultant is recorded in the system or by the hall administrator at the reception, or by the head of the department. This possibility is also in demand if the consultation is conducted by a specialist who is not on the staff of this division of the bank. For example, a client through a system of pre-registration is registered at a convenient office for an investment consultation, and there is no financial adviser in this department; then he will come specifically from the central office and meet with the client in a meeting room.
Delayed visit. If a client comes to the bank at the time of peak load and sees a large number of people waiting, he can use the option of pre-registration for the current day when choosing a service at the terminal. For example, specify the time of the visit in an hour or two. In this case, he can be sure that his number will not be called earlier than at the specified time.
Available medium. The implementation of the state program “Accessible Environment” has not bypassed the queue management system. Increasingly, solutions for people with disabilities are being introduced into the software and hardware of the system. This includes displaying the service selection interface in contrasting colorographic schemes, screen magnifier mode, voice notification with a built-in induction loop, additional buttons on the terminal in Braille, voice menu, variable terminal height and other features.
Integration with access control. The queue management system can be integrated with the access control system if there are service areas, access to which should be limited, for example, deposit cells. Confirmation of access authorization can be carried out by scanning the bar code on the coupon with the client number (call confirmation), as well as additionally using biometric technologies (identity confirmation).
Biometrics technology. Biometrics technologies are used to identify VIP-clients at the time of their registration at the terminal queue to confirm the priority of service. For this, the terminal is additionally equipped with a camera for face recognition or a fingerprint scanner.
Also, such technologies are used in the case of integration of the queue management system with the access control system to confirm identity when accessing special repositories. In this case, you can use not only the identification of the person on the face or fingerprint, but the voice identification or iris scan.
It should be noted here that no personal customer data is stored in the database of the queue management system, all identification information is transmitted directly to the banking information system, from which only confirmation of this customer’s priority comes.
That is, as we can see, the potential for the development and implementation of new technologies is massive. It all depends on the specific needs of the people with whom we cooperate. And to use the standard set of functions of the system or to break your head and create something new, this is already a question of the desire to develop your business and the desire to make it as efficient as possible.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/333794/
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