While queuing is an everyday occurrence, one place where queues happen too often and yet remain unaddressed is in universities, colleges and educational institutions.
As travel and physical distancing restrictions have eased now, many colleges and universities are slowly transitioning back to on-campus learning again – or at least a hybrid model. But the world has changed over the last few years and so have people’s expectations. Now, every brand has an app or a tap-and-go system or some sort of digital service that makes everything streamlined.
This means both new and returning students will expect their campus services to offer the same. If not, it can result in a poor student experience.
So, the need for digital transformation in the education sector is more important than ever – starting with the student admissions process.
Solving manual workflows and time-consuming admissions processes
The admission process is essential for all educational institutions.
However, it can be very tedious and often takes so much time for administration staff and students alike.
For universities to thrive in the new norm post-pandemic, they must make the digital transition now and start adopting digital solutions that help them become faster, more efficient and more responsive to student expectations.
The solution: better queue management
One of the best ways to maximise operational efficiencies throughout campus facilities is to manage long student queues to ensure a more controlled and organised learning environment.
Here’s how it works and the benefits this offers.
5 ways a queue management solution can improve university admission processes
Waiting in line is a challenge for both students and staff alike. Counselling offices, registrar offices, and in-campus health centres can quickly become disorderly and frustrating due to long queues.
So, here are 5 ways your organisation can benefit by implementing a queue management solution:
- Shorter enrolment and admission processes
While a poor queuing situation in educational institutions can be partially solved by a better waiting area layout, the core problem lies in queue management itself.
The solution, therefore, is to invest in a Queue Management System (QMS) for universities and colleges.
A Queue Management System is not just a tool to help students spend less time waiting. It is an integral part of the communication process between the administration team and the students. With high volumes of students coming in, service demand is as important to predict as it is to manage. An efficient queuing solution lets you do both.
- Reduced waiting times
The biggest benefit of a Queue Management System is the reduced physical waiting times. Students (and staff) already have very busy schedules, so the last thing they want is to end up in a long queue without knowing how much time it will take to get seen.
A Queue Management System can streamline the student flow and automate the journey, significantly reducing the overall wait time. Admin staff can also focus on their primary tasks and expedite the service delivery process. Overall, these benefits can lead to a quicker and smoother service delivery.
- Improve service quality
A QMS automates the flow and various student journey steps. This not only reduces the overall wait time, but also helps staff focus more on their primary tasks.
When students are served immediately or relatively quickly, the stress caused by long wait times is significantly minimised – allowing students have more time to communicate with the staff. Furthermore, a QMS also collects data and monitors staff performance to guide management in effectively utilising resources and helping improve the performance of the department.
- Reduce operational costs
Many college administrators are very familiar with the common challenges of tending to student needs and sustaining operations with limited resources. Although implementing a Queue Management System might sound expensive at first, it’s well worth it when compared to the amount of money that colleges often find themselves paying to maintain inefficient and ineffective systems.
A QMS allows college staff and administrators to work through their queues faster and more effectively by increasing the number of students they can assist and decreasing the number of walkaways or no-shows. By keeping queues orderly and facilitating personable interactions, Queue Management Systems can boost overall productivity while also keeping costs low.
- Efficiently collect feedback
Queue Management Systems that gather feedback can help universities and institutions identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
Because a digital Queue Management System makes collecting feedback a breeze, universities can quickly gather valuable insights about the effectiveness of various services. From there, administrators can strategise, optimise their staffing, and identify common pitfalls in the interest of further improvement.
How NEXA can help your educational institution with queue management
By combining queue management with innovative and intuitive technology, NEXA helps transform student experiences and increase operational efficiencies through our Queue Management System.
Our team of experts can assess your university or college’s unique needs and create a tailored suite of products to transform your operations to then improve the student experience.
This includes a combination of the following products:
- NEXA eConcierge
With NEXA eConcierge, your staff will have real-time access to the NEXA Queue Management System, improving how they manage queues and assist students.
- NEXA Mobile Q
By offering remote queueing via the student’s mobile phones and devices, Mobile Q places wait-time convenience and notifications in their hands, so they always know where in the queue they are up to with full peace of mind.
- NEXA Voice
NEXA Voice gathers student feedback to provide the essential insights required to make smart strategic decisions and necessary improvements for the satisfaction of your staff and students.
Ultimately, every college and university’s goal is to improve the student experience, which in the end, makes a positive impression and drives greater loyalty from students and other stakeholders.
Are you ready to improve your student experience?
At NEXA, we understand the importance that your organisation places on providing the best possible service and experience for every student, every single day.
That’s why we’re here to help.
NEXA is an Australian company that delivers innovative digital solutions to empower universities, staff members and students by taking advantage of digital technology. With NEXA, you can support and enable your team, deliver excellent service levels and thrive in today’s evolving landscape.
Do you want to experience the benefits that come with integrating NEXA’s customer journey solutions into your university?
Talk to us today to find out how you can make your customer interactions matter.
