QuickHub - Walk-in Service Counter Platform

Summary

An innovative shipment creation platform designed for walk-in service counters, featuring real-time queue management, instant tracking, and streamlined operations. This initiative project won First Place at the company's internal Hackathon, demonstrating both technical excellence and business impact.

Context & Requirements

Walk-in counter operations faced several challenges:

• Long Wait Times: Manual queue management causing customer frustration
• Slow Processing: Counter staff navigating multiple systems
• No Visibility: Customers couldn't track their queue position
• Paper Trail: Physical forms leading to data entry errors

Hackathon Challenge: Create a solution that improves walk-in service efficiency by at least 50%

Our Proposal: A unified platform combining:

• Digital queue system with real-time display
• Streamlined shipment creation for counter staff
• Customer-facing tracking interface
• Analytics dashboard for managers

Architecture

Tech Stack:

| Component | Technology | Purpose | |-----------|------------|---------| | Frontend | Next.js, React | Fast, SEO-friendly interface | | Real-time | WebSocket, Socket.io | Instant queue updates | | Counter App | React, Tailwind | Optimized for touch screens | | Queue Display | React | TV/Monitor display system | | Backend | Node.js, Express | API and WebSocket server | | Database | PostgreSQL | Transaction records | | Cache | Redis | Queue state, real-time data |

Key Features

1. Real-time Queue Management

2. Counter Staff Dashboard

Optimized interface for counter operations:

• Quick Actions: One-click common operations
• Auto-fill: Customer data from queue registration
• Smart Suggestions: Frequently used destinations
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Power-user efficiency

3. Queue Display System

Large-format display for waiting areas:

• Current serving numbers
• Estimated wait times
• Service announcements
• Promotional content rotation

4. Customer Self-Service Kiosk

Touch-screen kiosk for:

• Queue registration
• Package drop-off scanning
• Tracking lookup
• Receipt printing

Implementation Highlights

Real-time Queue Updates

// WebSocket event handling
socket.on('queue:update', (data) => {
  // Update queue display instantly
  setQueueState(prev => ({
    ...prev,
    currentNumber: data.currentNumber,
    waitingCount: data.waitingCount,
    estimatedWait: data.estimatedWait
  }));
});

// Notify specific customer
socket.emit('customer:notify', {
  ticketId: customer.ticketId,
  message: 'Your turn is approaching',
  position: 2
});

Performance Optimizations

• Optimistic UI: Instant feedback before server confirmation
• Connection Recovery: Auto-reconnect with state sync
• Offline Mode: Graceful degradation when network unstable
• Load Balancing: Redis-backed WebSocket scaling

Results & Metrics

Hackathon Results:

• Won 1st Place among 12 competing teams
• Selected for immediate production development
• Received executive sponsorship for full rollout

Operational Impact:

• Reduced average transaction time from 5 minutes to 45 seconds
• Increased daily counter throughput by 85%
• Eliminated data entry errors completely
• Improved customer satisfaction scores by 35%

Team & Leadership

Led a team of 3 engineers during the hackathon:

• 48-hour development sprint
• Coordinated parallel workstreams (frontend, backend, display)
• Presented demo to executive panel
• Prepared technical documentation for judges

Post-hackathon, continued leading the initiative through production deployment.

Why We Won

Technical Excellence:

• Clean, maintainable architecture
• Real-time synchronization without polling
• Responsive design across all screen sizes
• Comprehensive error handling

Business Impact:

• Clear ROI demonstration
• Measurable efficiency improvements
• Scalable to all counter locations
• Low implementation cost

Presentation:

• Live demo with real scenarios
• Data-driven impact projections
• Clear rollout roadmap
• Risk mitigation strategies

What I Would Improve

Future enhancements planned:

1. AI Queue Prediction: ML-based wait time estimation
2. Voice Announcements: Text-to-speech queue calling
3. Mobile App Integration: Virtual queue from anywhere
4. Analytics Dashboard: Counter performance insights
5. Multi-language Support: Serve diverse customer base

Lessons Learned

"Hackathons teach you to prioritize ruthlessly. With limited time, every feature must directly serve the core value proposition."

The key to winning wasn't having the most features - it was solving the right problem completely. We focused on the end-to-end queue experience rather than building many half-finished features.

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Recognition: This project demonstrated initiative and innovation, directly leading to my promotion to Tech Lead - Fullstack with expanded responsibilities across all company products.