Smart Queue Management System

Overview

The Smart Queue Management System is a web-based application designed to help businesses manage customer queues efficiently. It provides a real-time dashboard for staff and a customer-facing display system.

Problem Statement

In Nigeria, long queues are a daily reality at banks, government offices, hospitals, and service centers. The problem isn't always a shortage of staff — it's poor queue management:

Customers don't know their position or estimated wait time
Staff can't see the full picture of queue status
No data to optimize staffing and service delivery

Solution

A digital queue system that:

Customer registration: Customers get a numbered ticket via SMS, kiosk, or QR code
Real-time updates: Display boards show current serving numbers and estimated wait times
Staff dashboard: Agents see their queue, call next customer with one click
Analytics: Managers see real-time and historical data on wait times, service times, and throughput

Technical Architecture

Frontend

Next.js 14 with App Router
WebSocket (Socket.io) for real-time updates
Tailwind CSS for responsive design

Backend

Node.js with Express
PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
Redis for session management and pub/sub
Socket.io server for WebSocket connections

Queue Logic

interface QueueTicket {
  id: string
  number: number
  serviceType: string
  issuedAt: Date
  calledAt?: Date
  completedAt?: Date
  status: 'waiting' | 'called' | 'serving' | 'done' | 'no-show'
}
 
class QueueService {
  async issueTicket(serviceType: string): Promise<QueueTicket> {
    const lastNumber = await this.getLastTicketNumber(serviceType)
    const ticket = await this.db.ticket.create({
      data: {
        number: lastNumber + 1,
        serviceType,
        status: 'waiting',
      }
    })
    await this.notifyClients({ type: 'TICKET_ISSUED', ticket })
    return ticket
  }
 
  async callNext(agentId: string): Promise<QueueTicket | null> {
    const next = await this.db.ticket.findFirst({
      where: { status: 'waiting' },
      orderBy: { number: 'asc' },
    })
    if (!next) return null
 
    const updated = await this.db.ticket.update({
      where: { id: next.id },
      data: { status: 'called', calledAt: new Date(), agentId }
    })
    await this.notifyClients({ type: 'CUSTOMER_CALLED', ticket: updated })
    return updated
  }
}

Current Status

The project is in active development. Current milestone: completing the staff dashboard and testing WebSocket reliability under concurrent load.

Lessons Learned

Building real-time systems is significantly more complex than request-response patterns. Managing state consistency between server, multiple browser clients, and display boards requires careful architectural decisions.

Next steps include multi-branch support and a mobile app for customers to track their position remotely.

Technologies Used