Queue Management System for U.S. Businesses and Public Services
Trusted by U.S. counties, hospitals, colleges, airlines and retailers to solve queuing problems
Kohl’s, CalPERS, McLeod Health, Delta Air Lines, San Diego County, Schenectady County, Clackamas County Courthouse, Hennepin County, Liberty Regional Medical Center, Greenville Technical College, Northgate Market, Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, Micro Center and the Milwaukee Brewers all run on Wavetec.
What Is a Queue Management System?
A queue management system (QMS) is software and hardware that controls how people wait for service, from check-in to the counter. It issues tickets or virtual places in line, routes each visitor to the right staff member, shows wait times on screens and phones, and records every step so managers can see where time is lost.
In the U.S., the same system runs a county permit office, a hospital outpatient lobby, a college financial aid desk or a retail service counter. Systems range from simple linear queuing and ticket dispensers to virtual queues and full enterprise platforms; our guide to the types of queue management systems compares them.
Visitors stand in line without knowing how long it will take. A QMS replaces the physical line with a ticket or a virtual place, so lobbies stay calm and people can wait where they like.
Walk-ins and appointments compete for the same counters. A QMS runs both in one flow, sends reminders, and balances work across counters and departments.
Without timestamps, managers guess where delays come from. A QMS records arrival, wait and service time for every visit and turns them into reports by location, service and staff member.
How Does a Queue Management System Work?
A queue management system replaces a physical line with an organized, trackable flow. A typical visit with Wavetec works like this:
- Check in. Visitors join at an ADA-compliant self-service kiosk, scan a QR code, text a number, join through WhatsApp Queuing or the Mobile-Q app, or arrive for a booked appointment.
- Wait anywhere. Each visitor gets a ticket number and an estimated wait. Text alerts tell them when to come back, so nobody has to stand in line.
- Get routed. Spectra, Wavetec’s queue management software, sends each visitor to the next available counter based on service type, priority and staff skills.
- Get called. Donatello digital signage, counter displays, counter lights and voice announcements call the next ticket, and the same screens show service information while people wait.
- Give feedback. A rating on a customer feedback device or by text captures how the visit went right after service.
- Improve with data. Spectra dashboards show wait time, service time, abandonment and staff performance live. The AI Traffic Forecasting module that ships with Spectra 2.0 predicts busy periods so managers can staff ahead of demand.
Benefits of a Queue Management System
1,000+
Customer visits a day at San Diego County PDS
30%
Fewer no-shows at Schenectady County DSS
50%
Shorter waits at Greenville Technical College
30%+
Shorter patient waits at Liberty Regional
Components of a Queue Management System
Self-Service Kiosks
Wavetec kiosks such as the ADA-compliant M-13, with a 17-inch touchscreen and dual ticket printers for backup, let visitors pick a service, check in for an appointment and print or text their ticket. The M-18 adds bilingual screens and SMS enrollment.
Ticket Dispensers
A take-a-number ticket dispenser is the simplest way to turn a line into an orderly queue, and it connects to the same displays and reports as the rest of the system.
Donatello Digital Signage
Lobby screens and counter displays show the ticket being served, estimated waits and announcements, managed centrally across every location.
Spectra Queue Analytics
Spectra dashboards report wait time, service time, abandonment, throughput and staff performance by location and service, with exports for BI tools.
- Self-Service Kiosks
-
Self-Service Kiosks
Wavetec kiosks such as the ADA-compliant M-13, with a 17-inch touchscreen and dual ticket printers for backup, let visitors pick a service, check in for an appointment and print or text their ticket. The M-18 adds bilingual screens and SMS enrollment.
- Ticket Dispensers
-
Ticket Dispensers
A take-a-number ticket dispenser is the simplest way to turn a line into an orderly queue, and it connects to the same displays and reports as the rest of the system.
- Digital Signage
-
Donatello Digital Signage
Lobby screens and counter displays show the ticket being served, estimated waits and announcements, managed centrally across every location.
- Spectra Dashboards
-
Spectra Queue Analytics
Spectra dashboards report wait time, service time, abandonment, throughput and staff performance by location and service, with exports for BI tools.
Queue Management Solutions for Every Kind of Line
Enterprise Virtual Queuing
Visitors join from a kiosk, QR code, text message or the web and wait wherever they like. Wavetec’s virtual queue runs walk-ins and appointments together across many sites; Trident Technical College uses it so students can join online or by text and get an alert when it is their turn.
WhatsApp Queuing
Visitors join the line by opening a WhatsApp chat and receive their position and turn alerts in the same thread. Workforce Santa Cruz County offers WhatsApp, QR and text joining side by side.
Linear Queuing with UNO-Q
UNO-Q is a call-forward system for single-line queues: one line, many counters, and a screen or light that calls the next customer. It supports up to 16 counters, or 32 in cascading mode, and runs at Micro Center, Northgate Market, the Milwaukee Brewers and Sangamon County polling stations.
Mobile Queuing with Mobile-Q
Customers take a number from their phone before they arrive, follow their place in line and walk in when they are next, which cuts lobby crowding at busy branches and offices.
Queue Management System Results in the U.S.
Named U.S. deployments, with the figures each customer reported.
97.14%
San Diego County PDS, California
Tickets served across 1,000+ customer visits a day, with M-13 kiosks, Spectra and Donatello screens.
Read the case study
30%
Schenectady County DSS, New York
Fewer no-shows across 12 departments serving 10,000+ residents a month.
Read the case study
98.64%
Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, New York
Of 8,257 tickets served in 30 days, with a 4 minute 7 second average wait, using M-18 kiosks, Spectra and Donatello screens.
Read the case study
96%+
Delta Air Lines
Accuracy of wait-time estimates in Delta Premium Lounges; Capacity Manager runs in 9 Delta Sky Club lounges.
Read the case study
30%+
Liberty Regional Medical Center, Georgia
Shorter average patient wait with kiosk check-in and SMS queue updates.
Read the case study
50%
Greenville Technical College, South Carolina
Shorter waits after students started reserving their spot in line from anywhere.
Read the case study
Other U.S. customers include Kohl’s, CalPERS, which serves 1.5 million members, McLeod Health across 45 medical centers, Clackamas County Courthouse, M&M’s stores run by Mars, a Disney store at Mall of America, Hennepin County, Tulare County, St. Lucie County Tax Collector, Sangamon County, Benton County, Schenectady County DMV, Oregon Lottery, Mason Health, MariMed, the University of Central Florida, Racine Unified School District, Georgia Ports Authority, Arizona Auto Biz and Stoops Freightliner.
Who Uses a Queue Management System in the U.S.?
Any organization where people line up for service. See the full breakdown in who uses queuing systems.
Queue Management for Government Offices
County offices, courthouses, tax collectors, social services and elections use Wavetec to run walk-ins and appointments, keep lobbies calm and report service levels to leadership. San Diego County, Clackamas County Courthouse, which serves 430,000+ residents, Hennepin County, Schenectady County DSS, St. Lucie County, Sangamon County and CalPERS, which serves 1.5 million members, are U.S. examples.
ADA-compliant kiosks, multilingual screens and SMS updates help every resident check in on their own terms.
Queue Management for DMVs
DMVs handle license, registration and testing traffic that swings hour to hour. Schenectady County DMV pairs appointment scheduling with SMS and email line updates, and Arizona Auto Biz runs appointments and walk-in kiosks together for license services.
Wavetec is listed as an associate member of AAMVA. Before you buy, use our DMV buyer checklist and RFP scoring model or read about DMV queue management.
Queue Management for Hospitals and Clinics
Hospitals and clinics use kiosk check-in, SMS updates and patient routing to shorten waits and keep waiting rooms calm. Liberty Regional Medical Center cut its average wait by more than 30%, McLeod Health is equipping 45 medical centers with UNO-Q, and Mason Health in Washington selected Wavetec to manage patient check-in and flow.
Wavetec is HIPAA compliant. Read our guide to the hospital queue management system.
Queue Management for Colleges and Universities
Financial aid, admissions, registrar and IT help desks see heavy peaks at the start of each term. Greenville Technical College reports 50% shorter waits, and Trident Technical College, the University of Central Florida and Racine Unified School District use Wavetec virtual queuing and appointments.
Students join online or by text and get an alert when it is their turn, so they are not stuck in a hallway.
Queue Management for Retail
Retailers use single-line queuing, counter calling and digital signage to keep checkouts and service counters moving. Kohl’s, Micro Center, Northgate Market, which serves 550,000+ customers a week, M&M’s stores that manage 25,000 to 50,000 customers a day, and the Milwaukee Brewers team store run UNO-Q.
At Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace in New York, 98.64% of 8,257 tickets were served in 30 days, with an average wait of 4 minutes 7 seconds.
Queue Management for Banks and Credit Unions
Banks and credit unions use lobby queuing, appointment booking and analytics to route members to tellers or advisors and plan branch staffing. Wavetec runs in banks across 80+ countries.
See how banks use queue management software to improve branch efficiency.
- Government
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Queue Management for Government Offices
County offices, courthouses, tax collectors, social services and elections use Wavetec to run walk-ins and appointments, keep lobbies calm and report service levels to leadership. San Diego County, Clackamas County Courthouse, which serves 430,000+ residents, Hennepin County, Schenectady County DSS, St. Lucie County, Sangamon County and CalPERS, which serves 1.5 million members, are U.S. examples.
ADA-compliant kiosks, multilingual screens and SMS updates help every resident check in on their own terms.
- DMV
-
Queue Management for DMVs
DMVs handle license, registration and testing traffic that swings hour to hour. Schenectady County DMV pairs appointment scheduling with SMS and email line updates, and Arizona Auto Biz runs appointments and walk-in kiosks together for license services.
Wavetec is listed as an associate member of AAMVA. Before you buy, use our DMV buyer checklist and RFP scoring model or read about DMV queue management.
- Healthcare
-
Queue Management for Hospitals and Clinics
Hospitals and clinics use kiosk check-in, SMS updates and patient routing to shorten waits and keep waiting rooms calm. Liberty Regional Medical Center cut its average wait by more than 30%, McLeod Health is equipping 45 medical centers with UNO-Q, and Mason Health in Washington selected Wavetec to manage patient check-in and flow.
Wavetec is HIPAA compliant. Read our guide to the hospital queue management system.
- Education
-
Queue Management for Colleges and Universities
Financial aid, admissions, registrar and IT help desks see heavy peaks at the start of each term. Greenville Technical College reports 50% shorter waits, and Trident Technical College, the University of Central Florida and Racine Unified School District use Wavetec virtual queuing and appointments.
Students join online or by text and get an alert when it is their turn, so they are not stuck in a hallway.
- Retail
-
Queue Management for Retail
Retailers use single-line queuing, counter calling and digital signage to keep checkouts and service counters moving. Kohl’s, Micro Center, Northgate Market, which serves 550,000+ customers a week, M&M’s stores that manage 25,000 to 50,000 customers a day, and the Milwaukee Brewers team store run UNO-Q.
At Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace in New York, 98.64% of 8,257 tickets were served in 30 days, with an average wait of 4 minutes 7 seconds.
- Banking
-
Queue Management for Banks and Credit Unions
Banks and credit unions use lobby queuing, appointment booking and analytics to route members to tellers or advisors and plan branch staffing. Wavetec runs in banks across 80+ countries.
See how banks use queue management software to improve branch efficiency.
Cloud-Only Queue App vs. Enterprise Queue Management System
A phone-based queue app suits a single shop with one line. Offices, clinics and campuses with several services, kiosks and reporting needs usually need an enterprise system.
| What you get | Cloud-only queue app | Wavetec enterprise QMS |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | None or third-party tablets | Wavetec-built kiosks, ticket dispensers, displays and counter lights |
| Ways to join | Mostly web and SMS | Kiosk, QR, text, WhatsApp, Mobile-Q app, appointments |
| Deployment | Cloud only | Multi-tenant cloud or on-premises |
| Scale | Single sites and small chains | Multi-site, multi-department operations |
| Analytics | Basic wait reports | Spectra dashboards, BI exports, AI Traffic Forecasting module |
| Accessibility | Varies | ADA-compliant kiosks, multilingual screens |
| Security | Varies | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 |
| Support | Remote only | U.S. offices in New York and Sacramento |
Security, Compliance and Accessibility
SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA
Wavetec is HIPAA compliant and SOC 2 Type II compliant, so hospitals and clinics can run patient queues safely.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015
Certified for information security and quality management, and GDPR compliant.
Access control and data
Role-based access, audit logs, encryption in transit and data-retention controls, in the cloud or on your own servers.
ADA-compliant kiosks
M-13 kiosks in San Diego County and Schenectady County DSS are ADA compliant, so every visitor can check in without help.
AAMVA associate member
Wavetec is listed as an AAMVA associate member and works with DMVs across the U.S.
Rated 4.8 on G2
Customers rate Wavetec 4.8 on G2 for queue management and customer experience.
How to Choose a Queue Management System, and What It Costs
The best queue management system is the one that fits how your visitors arrive and how your teams work. Check these points before you shortlist vendors:
- Ways to join: kiosk, QR, text, app, WhatsApp and appointments in one queue.
- Locations and services: one dashboard for every site and department.
- Hardware: kiosks, printers and displays from the same vendor, with U.S. support.
- Integrations: REST APIs and SDKs for CRM, POS and ERP, and single sign-on through SAML or OAuth.
- Compliance: SOC 2, HIPAA, ADA and your own procurement rules.
- Reporting: wait time, service time, abandonment, throughput, CSAT and SLA attainment.
What drives the cost: the number of locations and counters, how many kiosks and screens you need, cloud or on-premises hosting, integrations, and support level. Wavetec quotes each project to fit, and the ROI calculator estimates the return. More detail is in our guide on how to choose a queue management system and our comparison of queue management systems.
Features of Wavetec's Queue Management System
Frequently Asked Questions About Queue Management Systems
A queue management system is software and hardware that controls how people wait for service, from check-in to the counter. It issues tickets or virtual places in line, routes visitors to the right staff, shows wait times and reports on every visit.
County and city offices, courthouses, DMVs, hospitals and clinics, colleges, retailers, banks, credit unions and airline lounges use them. Wavetec customers include San Diego County, Schenectady County, Delta Air Lines, Liberty Regional Medical Center and Greenville Technical College.
The best system is the one that matches how your visitors arrive, how many locations you run, and your security and accessibility rules. Organizations with several services, kiosks and reporting needs usually choose an enterprise system such as Wavetec over a phone-only app.
Free apps exist for a single small location with one line and no hardware. Multi-site operations that need kiosks, ADA access, HIPAA or SOC 2 compliance and detailed reporting need a paid enterprise system.
Cost depends on the number of locations and counters, the kiosks and screens you need, cloud or on-premises hosting, integrations and support. Wavetec quotes each project, and its ROI calculator estimates the return before you buy.
Common devices are self-service kiosks, ticket dispensers, lobby screens, counter displays, counter lights and feedback devices. Visitors can also join from their own phone by QR code, text, WhatsApp or the Mobile-Q app.
San Diego County Planning and Development Services uses Wavetec kiosks, Spectra and Donatello screens to handle 1,000+ customer visits a day, with a 27-minute average wait and 97.14% of tickets served. Schenectady County DSS uses it to serve 10,000+ residents a month across 12 departments.
Yes. Wavetec is HIPAA compliant and runs patient check-in, SMS queue updates and routing at providers such as Liberty Regional Medical Center, which cut its average wait by more than 30%.
Yes. Wavetec is listed as an AAMVA associate member and runs at Schenectady County DMV, San Diego County, Clackamas County Courthouse and Hennepin County, with ADA-compliant kiosks and SMS updates.
REST APIs and SDKs sync ticketing, appointments and notifications with CRM, POS and ERP systems. Single sign-on through SAML or OAuth simplifies user management.
Choose multi-tenant cloud or on-premises hosting. Both include role-based access, audit logs, encryption in transit and data-retention controls.
Wait time, service time, abandonment, throughput, customer satisfaction and SLA attainment. Reports compare locations, services and staff, with exports for BI tools.
Trusted by 160+ enterprise clients and 500+ public sector and SME clients
Wavetec builds its own hardware and software, has deployed 30,000+ systems in 80+ countries since 1986, and supports U.S. customers from New York and Sacramento. Customers rate us 4.8 on G2.
Queue Management Guides
Plain answers to the questions U.S. buyers ask before choosing a queue management system.
