{"id":11610,"date":"2026-05-28T16:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kioskdigital.it\/blog\/?p=11610"},"modified":"2026-08-31T12:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:38:44","slug":"queue-management-for-municipal-utilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kioskdigital.it\/blog\/en\/queue-management-for-municipal-utilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Queue management for utilities: a guide for water, gas, energy and waste services"},"content":{"rendered":"

A utility queue management system is a software platform for digitally managing queues at counters for companies that provide local public services\u2014water, gas, electricity, waste management, and transportation. It allows you to organize user flows, sort by service type, integrate online booking, and monitor the quality KPIs required by ARERA regulations.<\/p>\n

Italian utilities and multi-utilities manage millions of counter accesses every day: billing, connections, complaints, direct debits, and contracts. In many cases, queue management is still entrusted to outdated or unstructured systems. This guide analyzes the specific challenges of the sector and how a professional queue management system can solve them.<\/p>\n

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Utilities and multi-utilities in Italy: a sector with 3,600 companies<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are approximately 3,600 Italian utilities\u2014companies that manage water, gas, electricity, waste, and local services\u2014the vast majority of which are owned by local public bodies (municipalities, provinces, metropolitan cities). This is a highly diverse network of companies: from large national energy groups to regional multi-utilities to small municipal water and waste collection companies.<\/p>\n

What almost all of them have in common is the need to operate a physical service desk\u2014often multiple locations\u2014where citizens go for administrative procedures related to the services provided. And these desks are almost always among the most critical points of contact with the public in terms of queue management.<\/p>\n

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The specific problem of utility counters<\/span><\/h2>\n

A utility counter is not the same as a bank counter or a pharmacy counter. It has its own characteristics that make queue management particularly complex:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nImpact on management code<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Highly seasonal flow<\/td>\nPeaks in flow at bill due dates, bonus or contribution request periods, and tariff migration campaigns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heterogeneous services<\/td>\nThe same office handles connections, complaints, domiciliations, ISEE procedures, social benefits \u2014 services with very different processing times<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vulnerable users<\/td>\nHigh presence of elderly people, users with language or digital difficulties who require longer assistance times<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ARERA obligations<\/td>\nMany utilities are subject to ARERA regulation with minimum standards on waiting times and response times at the counter.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Multi-site networks<\/td>\nCompanies with multiple local offices require centralized management and comparative reporting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Systems integration<\/td>\nData collected at the counter must flow into the company’s back-office systems via APIs or dedicated connectors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

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Why a traditional queue management system isn’t enough<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many utilities have installed first-generation queue management systems over time\u2014physical number dispensers, manual call displays, or low-end cloud-based systems. These systems solve the basic problem (giving users a number), but they don’t address the specific challenges of the industry.<\/p>\n

A basic system is unable to:<\/p>\n