Recently, digitally-enabled services have been increasingly deployed around the world to improve business efficiency and be more attractive to customers.
The most common use of e-cards and smartphones is as personal identifiers and e-wallets, which can be used to pay for services or goods, identify participants in competitions and other activities.
Main functions of the system
- Personal assistant. A schedule of activities (competitions, training, meals, treatments, entertainment, etc.) is drawn up for the participants and stored in a central computer. Participants can view the schedule in their room via web TV or on the infoterminal installed in convenient locations (classrooms, lobbies, etc.). Interactive TV also allows you to order and watch pay-per-view films, follow the treatment schedule, book the services you want, get reminders about events, etc.
- Controlled access to the premises. Terminals are installed at service points (competitions, training, canteen, entertainment venues, etc.) and connected to a central computer. If a participant wants to enter any of the facilities, his/her card is used to check whether he/she is entitled to do so at that time, and the time of the service provided may also be recorded (entry and exit to the solarium, swimming pool, sauna). The card can also serve as a key to enter a room, the entrance to an establishment, etc. Cards are particularly useful for keeping track of groups of participants, e.g. when getting off the bus, the manager uses the NFC mobile phone to keep track of all the people, and when they come back from the exhibition or the shop, he scans the cards again and sees how many more participants are there and which ones are missing and he can immediately call them back.
- Inventory accounting. The use of tags can be used to identify the equipment used (bicycles, chess sets, tennis rackets), keys to individual rooms, and then to keep an automated record of which customer used which equipment for how long.
- These tags can also be used to record the results of competitions. They are then mounted on the appropriate sporting equipment (bicycle, boat, orienteering, etc.) and the tag is read at the start and finish to record the time taken.
- Self-service terminals. By installing card readers on coffee machines, printers, washing machines and other frequently used devices, customers can use them at the swipe of a card (no need for staff, no need for cash).
- Staff certificate. Similar cards can be used by organisers, journalists and others to control their entry and exit (automatic tabulation), access to the premises and the completion of scheduled tasks, and use of the institution’s resources (coffee, catering, printer, etc.).
- Cards can be permanent, personalised or prepaid:
- permanent – a presentable office card with your number. It is issued on arrival, used for the duration of the client’s stay and returned on departure;
- personalised – the card can be pre-ordered or made on arrival for a separate fee with a name (photo) (as a souvenir, discount for the next visit, etc.)
- prepayment – a partial (advance) deposit of money to pay for certain services
The card system can be integrated with the institution’s internal accounting and business management systems.
Benefits of introducing electronic cards
For clients:
- Convenience. With just your card, you can access scheduled events or activities, individual rooms, the canteen, various activities, event schedules and other relevant personalised information;
- e-wallet – no need for petty cash, it won’t be taken or stolen, can be earmarked (e.g. just for meals, entertainment etc.)
For the organisers:
- Improved organisation of processes (participants only get to events and facilities according to a planned schedule);
- Improving service quality by minimising the impact of the human factor on staff;
- Faster customer service, lower costs;
- Operational statistics on the use of services, facilities, inventory for economic analysis (who visited and used what)
- The image of the institution as a modern organisation improves, which in turn increases customer traffic.