Pension Fund of Serbia
Design and Implementation of queue management system (QMS) in the Belgrade branch of Serbia's governmental pension fund comprising both software applications and hardware resources. The applications, operating touchcreen info-pults and client-side desk queue handlers are developed in Java running on Tomcat server and using MySQL as the database solution. Comprehesive QMS solution provides control, scenario develpment and queue load statistics.
Belgrade branch is the largest outpost withn the Republic Pension Fund's system serving the half-million strong pool of insurants.
The Challenge
Belgrade branch of Republic Pension Fund, a state-owned compulsory pension savings scheme processes pension applications within the wider Belgrade area, thus bearing the largest load among the branches throughout the country. Current legislative in the field acts slowly in applying contemporary data management services such as web-based applications and interactive call center communication.
Facing significant load of applications, the branch had been experiencing large and slow-paced queues, slow response time at counters and communication gaps caused by the lack of resources. The number of clients in the premises was steadily high, especially during times of applying new legislative decisions and additions to the law. The gap between received and processed applications continued to rise, outgrowing the branch’s manpower resources.
Fund’s management realized that it would take more than additional staff or premises to cope with the situation. After the overview of available solutions applied in the neighboring funds, top people opted for the solution that could assure faster movement of queues together with higher responsiveness of counter desks during the application processing.
It was the introduction of queue management system (QMS) and depending applications in the form of a hands-on solution ready to be implemented in the short time and causing as little slowdown to the branch’s daily activities as possible.
The Solution
By winning the public procurement for conducting an analysis of counter service overload followed by the cooperation with another company Akando on the development and implementation of QMS solution, Esteh was given the ability to tailor the solution in order to meet a number of specific demands as laid down by Fund’s management.
The analysis of counter service overload managed to single out weak spots in the workflow process as well as to point to a number of possible constraints derived from the premises design. As part of the advisory, Esteh draw several propositions to be implemented prior to the introduction of QMS solution in order to ensure smooth transition into the new environment.
The QMS solution comprising of software applications and hardware resources is developed on the basis of industry practice and findings gathered by the analytical paper. Software applications, running on standalone touch-screen info boxes and on counter operators’ PCs provide real-time management of queue flow by monitoring the load on each counter as well as the system as a whole and giving the operators ability to affect the flow on the basis of their current engagements.
Numbering of counters with dot matrix displays, printing of tickets and an easy navigation trough the most common services at the touch-screen box will guarantee reduction of the queue overflow and better utilization of resources in application processing.
The Result
Changes in premises contraction and design, performed by acting in line with Esteh’s proposals as stressed in the analytical paper showed results in securing more flow for clients’ movement thus setting path for the implementation of QMS service.
Introduction of QMS solution that is currently in progress is seen as the major overhaul in branch’s resources by scaling down the pressure on staff resources. Lesser queuing time, better counter service and faster processing of applications in the initial stage can be seen as the step further towards the better overall client servicing.
The Belgrade branch of Republic Pension Fund will be better equipped with resources to handle large amount of applications that is likely to persist in the following years, due to its central position in the Fund’s organizational structure.
Republic Pension Fund is country's largest savings scheme provider serving the most of Serbia's full-time employees.
Esteh's development portfolio includes innovative sales automation services, business solutions and system integration.