Those who have spent any time in a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office will recognize a familiar voice summoning them after they check in at Quantico’s Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System ID Card Center. In late August, the office in Little Hall that supplies ID cards and maintains records for everyone on base started using the same Q-Matic queue-management system used at the DMV and other offices, including Quantico’s mainside clinic.

The new system is able to calculate customer wait times, prioritize certain patrons and keep track of personnel performance.

Until the Q-Matic went in place, the office operated with a handwritten check-in list, and clerks could estimate the approximate wait time for walk-in customers, said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Darren Anderson, director of the Installation Personnel Administration Center. “Without the system, we were simply taking a guess at it,” he said, noting that the new system helps to manage customer expectations.

The system is also programmed to give priority to active duty service members getting common access cards or email certificates, said Andrew Middleton, site security manager at the ID card center. “We want to get the service member back to work.”

Anderson said managers are in the process of programming the system to also prioritize civilian employees who are stationed at Quantico and are requesting CACs.

Those who are there on other business, such as enrolling dependents, are placed in a separate queue.

Anderson said patrons who can plan their visits ahead of time should still opt for the online appointment scheduling system.

The new system also allows managers to measure their employees’ performance, as it keeps track of productivity and how long tasks take.

“Now we can see how people are spending their time and can make personnel changes if necessary,” Middleton said, although he added that he didn’t think the office has any performance issues.

As the DEERS office’s caseload can often cause long waits, complaints are not rare, but Middleton said he hadn’t received any since the first few days the Q-Matic was running, and Anderson said he’d received a couple of compliments on DEERS service through the online Interactive Customer Evaluation system.

One more advantage of the new system is that the female voice announcing the ticket number the office is “now serving” is loud enough that it can be heard even by those waiting outdoors near the office, Middleton said. “They did not skimp on the amplifier.”

Anderson said managers will continue to fine-tune the system based on experience. “As with any new system, we’ll work out some of the kinks and see what works well and what doesn’t work well.”

— Writer: mdicicco@quanticosentryonline.com