The Georgia Municipal Court Clerks Council recently named Suwanee Municipal Court Program of the Year for their efforts involving COVID-19 implementations, including a state-of-the-art queuing platform.
According to information provided by the city of Suwanee, the queue system was implemented in conjunction with a recent building renovation to meet the needs of court staff and customers alike by managing the flow of court participants during check in and tracking other customers that come into the lobby on non-court days, including defendants reporting to the private probation company housed in the building.
The queuing system also allows customers to check-in remotely and wait in their vehicles until contacted by their mobile devices. A dashboard provides real-time insights that lead to instant solutions, such as opening another check-in window when the number of customers exceeds a certain limit.
"The queuing system allows us to minimize the number of people in the building and practice social distancing while still providing necessary services to our citizens,” said Jessica Roth, Director of Business Services at the City of Suwanee. “Beyond COVID-19, the system offers the ability to wait somewhere other than a waiting room, shortening the perceived wait time. The system also allows for employees to work remotely.”
In addition to the queue system, and in response to the pandemic, the Suwanee municipal court implemented contactless document scanning, allowing visitors can provide documents to staff without ever having to exchange physical documents. A scanner was also added to the courtroom, allowing attorneys and customers to share documents with court staff. Scanned documents are transmitted directly to the judge’s monitor.
"These new systems have immeasurably improved wait times and brought a more sophisticated level of organization to our processes by giving court staff a better way to move court participants through the building, while enhancing the customer experience as a whole,” said Court Service Administrator Mariza Abdeljawad.
The Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council is a non-profit association that provides resources to court clerks, as well as provide assistance and guidance to the general public.
