Hennepin County Adopts Smarter Lobby Queuing with Wavetec

Wavetec is expanding its U.S. public-sector footprint with a new engagement with Hennepin County, Minnesota. The County is deploying a complete queue management solution designed to reduce waiting-room congestion and make in-person visits simpler for residents and staff.

It is delivering both the software and the hardware from its own portfolio. The solution combines:

• Lobby Leader: a mobile check-in tool that lets staff greet visitors, identify the service needed and place them in the right queue.
• SMS ticketing: residents join the line from their phone and receive text updates as their turn approaches.
• M-13 self-service kiosk with Bixolon printer: a walk-in option for visitors to select a service and print a ticket.
• Donatello digital signage and LED CDU: lobby screens and counter display units that show ticket calls and service information.
• Spectra controller and active hub: the connectivity and control layer that links kiosks, displays and counters into a single managed system.

Wavetec has deployments across 30+ U.S. states, all Canadian provinces and 80+ countries worldwide.

Less Waiting Room, More Choice

Residents can take a ticket at the kiosk, check in with a staff member through Lobby Leader, or join by SMS. Visitors who would rather not stand in line can wait elsewhere and return when notified. Staff can offer hands-on help to anyone who needs it.

Built for Government Standards

Wavetec’s kiosks are designed with accessibility in mind and are built to be ADA compliant, covering considerations like reach height, tactile controls and audio support so they can be used by all residents. This sits within a broader commitment to trust and data protection: Wavetec holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for its information security management system, has attained SOC 2 certification, and complies with GDPR. On the software side, Spectra provides role-based access control and audit logging, and Spectra 2.0 adds AI-powered traffic forecasting and simulation. Together these help managers plan staffing and spot bottlenecks before congestion builds.

The direction fits a wider trend: Deloitte’s Government Trends 2026 report describes governments pairing AI and digital capabilities with redesigned workflows, not just adding new tools.

Raising the Bar for Public Services in Minnesota

Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous county, home to Minneapolis and roughly 1.28 million residents (U.S. Census Bureau).

How it runs its service centers therefore sets a reference point for local government across the state. Bringing SMS ticketing, assisted check-in through Lobby Leader, self-service kiosks and connected digital signage into one managed system shows that modernization doesn’t have to come at the expense of personal service. 

Residents get more control over how and when they wait, whether they take a ticket on arrival or join from their phone. Staff can spend less time managing lines and more time helping the people who need it. County managers also get a clearer view of demand across sites, using Spectra’s analytics and AI-powered forecasting to plan staffing and spot pressure points sooner. 

For a county of this scale, that combination of convenience, accessibility and operational visibility marks a meaningful step forward for public service delivery in Minnesota.

Building on Wavetec’s U.S. Government Experience

Hennepin County joins other public-sector customers Wavetec supports across the U.S., including Schenectady Department of social services, San Diego County Planning & Development Services and Clackamas County Courthouse.