Average queue time
Also known as Mean waiting time
Definition
Average queue time is the arithmetic mean of time spent waiting at a selected stage. It can summarize a queue, but a few old items may make the mean unlike the experience of most work.
Average queue time in practice
Average queue time is the arithmetic mean of time spent waiting at a selected stage. It can summarize a queue, but a few old items may make the mean unlike the experience of most work.
A concrete example
Suppose five illustrative changes wait 1, 1, 2, 3, and 13 days for review. The average is four days, but four items waited three days or less. The long tail needs a separate conversation.
How to use the signal
Compare this measure with cycle time, throughput, work in progress, and queue time. Define the start and finish events, inspect distributions instead of relying on one average, and record the policy behind any comparison. A useful measure should lead to a specific question about flow rather than a score for an individual.
Limitations
The mean is sensitive to outliers and does not show queue depth or cause. State the stage boundary, population, and treatment of overnight or paused periods.
How this relates to Weave
Weave's engineering intelligence can help teams inspect delivery activity and timing around average queue time. Use those signals to find patterns and test workflow improvements, while keeping the team's work system as the source of truth for product, operational, and dependency context.
Explore Engineering intelligence