Waitlist Improvement Plan

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  Automated Text Message

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  Automated Email

Inspiration

The Tool Library empowers the Buffalo community through equitable access to tools, helping reduce waste and participating in a circular economy. But when items are in high demand, the process can get chaotic for the team keeping track of the waitlist. We wanted to build a solution that made the waitlist system smooth, transparent, and automatic while preserving the spirit of resource sharing.

What it does

The system lets users join a waitlist online, receive automatic updates via SMS and email, and view estimates on tool availability. It reduces friction for staff, eliminates guesswork for users, and ensures timely follow-ups with future machine learning-powered predictions.

Challenges we ran into

• Designing a UI that worked for tech-savvy and non-technical users
• Integrating machine learning without overwhelming staff operations
• Dealing with limited front-end
• Lack of buisness background

Accomplishments that we're proud of and what we learned

• The numerous ideas that we were able to implement
• Being able to come up with a solution in limited time
• Expand our skillset in fields of little prior knowledge

What's next for Waitlist Improvement Plan

• Integrate predictive notifications based on return patterns
• Expand to equipment inventory and volunteer scheduling
• Add data dashboards for staff to monitor trends
• Explore partnerships with other community tool libraries

Built With

• googlesheets
• java