How can ID scanners help to improve check in desks?

In an era where security and efficiency are paramount, ID scanners have emerged as powerful tools in various industries. These devices, designed specifically for identification and verification, are revolutionizing the way businesses operate and interact with customers. In this blog post, we will explore the significant role of ID scanners as standalone products, delving into their capabilities, benefits, and their impact on streamlining processes and enhancing security.

Advanced Identification Verification

ID scanners serve as a stand-alone solution dedicated to swiftly and accurately verifying identification documents. Equipped with sophisticated technology, these scanners can read and extract crucial information from various ID types, including driver’s licenses, passports, and ID cards. By employing optical character recognition (OCR) and barcode scanning, ID scanners can instantly authenticate IDs, ensuring that only valid documents are accepted.

Efficient Workflow Automation

One of the primary advantages of ID scanners is their ability to automate and expedite the identification and verification process. By eliminating manual data entry, these scanners significantly reduce human error and enhance overall efficiency. With a simple scan or swipe, relevant information is extracted, populating digital forms and databases in seconds. This automation frees up time for employees, enabling them to focus on more important tasks, ultimately improving productivity.

Heightened Security Measures

Security breaches and identity theft are ever-present concerns for businesses. ID scanners play a pivotal role in enhancing security by providing real-time authentication of identification documents. With advanced features like UV light detection, hologram recognition, and magnetic stripe reading, these scanners offer multiple layers of security, thwarting counterfeit IDs and fraudulent activities. By incorporating such technology, businesses can minimize risks and maintain a secure environment for their customers and employees.

Compliance with Regulations

Numerous industries are subject to strict regulations pertaining to identification. ID scanners simplify compliance efforts by automatically capturing and storing necessary data. This data can be easily retrieved and shared with authorities when required, ensuring adherence to legal obligations. By utilizing ID scanners as standalone products, businesses can confidently navigate regulatory frameworks while mitigating potential fines or penalties.

Versatility and Integration

ID scanners are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing systems and workflows, making them a versatile solution for various industries. Whether in retail, hospitality, healthcare, or banking, these scanners can be tailored to specific needs, offering compatibility with different software applications and databases. Integration capabilities enable businesses to consolidate data, streamline operations, and enhance overall information management.

Improved Customer Experience

Efficiency and convenience are key factors in delivering a positive customer experience. ID scanners streamline the check-in process, allowing guests to swiftly provide their identification and complete the necessary procedures. By reducing waiting times and eliminating manual paperwork, customers can enjoy a seamless and hassle-free experience, setting a positive tone. Additionally, the heightened security provided by ID scanners instills a sense of confidence and trust in customers, further enhancing their overall experience.

Analytics and Insights

Beyond identification verification, ID scanners also provide valuable data that can be utilized for analytics and business insights. By analyzing collected data, businesses can identify trends, optimize processes, and make informed decisions. Information such as customer demographics, visit frequency, and preferences can be leveraged to personalize experiences, tailor marketing campaigns, and drive customer loyalty.

ID scanners in healthcare

As we have quite an experience in working with healthcare facilities, we see that ID scanners can be especially useful in hospitals and such. Apart from the points already mentioned above, ID scanners can integrate with electronic health record (EHR) systems, allowing for seamless transfer of patient information. This integration enables hospital staff to access the patient’s medical history, allergies, and other pertinent data directly from the scanned ID. It enhances the accuracy of information retrieval and ensures that healthcare professionals have access to critical information at the point of care, leading to more efficient and informed decision-making.

Additionally, ID scanners can assist in identifying patients accurately, especially in scenarios where patients may be unable to communicate their personal information due to emergencies or other medical conditions. By scanning their IDs, hospital staff can quickly retrieve necessary details, enabling the provision of timely and appropriate care.

DESKO PENTA Scanner® for ID identification

As standalone products, ID scanners have revolutionized identification processes across multiple industries. Their ability to swiftly authenticate IDs, automate workflows, enhance security, ensure compliance, and provide valuable data insights makes them indispensable tools for businesses. By embracing this advanced technology, organizations can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and instill confidence in their customers. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, we can expect further innovations in ID scanning solutions, propelling industries towards even greater levels of security and efficiency.

To discuss self-service solution possibilities for your business, please get in touch with us today, and one of our team members will be more than happy to advise you!

July 12, 2023 Bussiness, IT No comments yet

Case study: Self-service benefits for Healthcare
Self-service terminal

Background

When the pandemic broke out in 2020, the healthcare industry experienced unprecedented problems and issues that previously could have been managed but, given the exponential exposure, overwhelmed healthcare institutions.

Hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities struggled with operational risks, such as a shortage of staff, resistance to vaccination, and a surge in both mild and severe cases of COVID-19. This resulted in long waiting time at healthcare facilities.

In response, both public and private healthcare providers approached us to inquire about the potential benefits of implementing self-service technology in their facilities.

The Solution

After researching integration possibilities with the local hospital information systems, the largest hospital in Latvia, Riga East Clinical University Hospital, decided to introduce self-service terminals with the potential to cover all its branches to add value for both patients and staff.

Implementing the freestanding kiosk terminal powered by Tapbox software has eased the patient flow, and patients can now register for doctor’s appointments themselves. 

One of the essential conditions is the saving of time resources. By modernizing processes, we improve the capacity of Customer Service Centers and reduce queues. On the other hand, we can direct the operators of the Customer Service Centers to work in the Call Center, thus reducing the waiting time to connect with the operator. Digital solutions provide significant advantages saving time and resources therefore, we are pleased with the successful implementation and cooperation of the project.

Agrita Junkere, Head of Customer Management Division

Functionality

At the moment, the main functionalities include two workflows: 
1) Registration for the visit 
2) Post-payment after the visit where additional manipulations have been done 

Registration for the visit: The patient authorizes with a passport or ID, automatically filling in and signing questionnaires and onboarding forms; chooses the respective appointment; makes the payment; if possible, adds insurance coverage; and obtains the queue number.

Post-payment: The patient authorizes with a passport or ID, the system automatically displays the patient’s latest invoices, and the patient can conveniently make the payment.

Benefits

Benefits for the healthcare facility:

  1. Cost optimization through reducing employee count and eliminating the need for additional personnel.
  2. Unlimited operation time; patients can access services outside of regular business hours.
  3. Reduced operational risk by automating processes and reducing human error (no sick leave, emotional impact, or unwillingness to cooperate).
  4. Empowering patients to perform necessary actions themselves.
  5. Data digitalization and process automation, allowing for more efficient operations and streamlined processes.
  6. Patient activity tracking at , allowing better understanding of patient needs and enables the healthcare facility to make data-driven decisions.
  7. Increased patient satisfaction by giving them more control over their healthcare and reducing wait times.
  8. Reduced physical contact, thus limiting the spread of viruses and minimizing the risk of exposure for employees.

Benefits for the patient:

  1. Speed: Self-service is developed with digitalization and automatization in mind, considerably reducing wait times and data processing.
  2. Convenience: Self-service allows patients to complete the check-in process on their own time, without having to wait in line or interact with hospital staff.
  3. Privacy: Self-service can provide patients with a greater sense of privacy as they enter their own information without having to share it with hospital staff.
  4. Efficiency: Self-service can streamline the check-in process, allowing patients to move more quickly through the hospital.
  5. Reduced risk of error: Self-service can reduce the risk of errors that can occur with manual processes, such as incorrect information being entered or insurance issues.
  6. Easy to use: The custom UX and UI kiosk application is intuitive and easy for the patient to understand.
  7. Reduced physical contact limits the spread of viruses and minimizes the risk of exposure for employees.

Additional features that can be added:

  1. Queue management system
  2. Patient statistics analytics
  3. Video call function, contactless service
  4. Filling in questionnaires or other documents
  5. Loyalty program, client database upgrade
  6. Optional facial verification system
  7. Electronic document signing
  8. Identification with third-party services
  9. Access to the patient’s medical records

Results from the first few months

Patient wait times have decreased 6× compared to the regular registry.
The hospitals’ administrative work for patient processing has decreased 2×.

Total patient flow growth at the kiosk terminals over the first five months has increased steadily.

In the first few months, more than 5,000 A4 paper sheets were saved, which is equal to more than 14 saved trees.

January 31, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

The underrated importance of queues

Why are queues important?

Nobody likes spending their time in queues, as it is not only a bad customer experience but also an incredible waste of time. An average American spends 113 hours per year in queues, the equivalent of 14 working days. Given that this time could be spent on work, family or leisure, the pressure from consumers on making customer service faster is apprehensible. 

The frustration directly affects consumer behavior – a queue of just 4 minutes will result in 59% of customers leaving and 56% of them will not return to the store where they had this experience. To put it simply, a store with a 4 minute queue is irreversibly losing a third of their revenue.

The average supermarket is losing 1.5 million euros every year to long queues.

StrongPoint

And this applies to industries beyond retail as well, as 82% of all consumers claim that a quick solution of their needs is the number one priority for a good customer experience.

The perception phenomenon

The leading consumer behavior specialists point out that the total time spent on checkout is not the most important aspect. It turns out that the perceived queue time is roughly twice the actual time spent in a queue. Self-service solutions can decrease the perceived queue time as consumers do not perceive the time at the kiosk as time spent in the queue, so even if it takes longer, the customer experience will be better.

What about the skeptics?

While the younger generation is delighted to see self-service becoming the new normal, there are many people who choose the conventional face-to-face experience or feel uncomfortable with using self-service kiosks. Good news for them, self-service kiosks reduce the workload for cashiers making the customer experience better even for those who are not using them. To put this in context – retailers have seen 40% decrease in waiting times after introducing self-service kiosks. This change is enough to decrease lost customers from 59% to 30%, which amounts to 750 thousand of annual revenue captured for the average supermarket.

The bottom line

Being the innovation leader in an industry is not an easy job, however introducing self-service is a question of remaining competitive and surviving. Businesses who introduce self-service solutions improve their profitability, customer retention and satisfaction. Needless to say, these benefits can only be achieved by properly designed self-service – you can read our previous blogs on why and how.

Our team is always working on customer experience improvements, so if you want to make your business better – contact us and our team will reach out with a tailored offer.

December 3, 2020 Uncategorized No comments yet