Queue age
Also known as Old review request
Definition
Queue age measures how long an item has waited for the next processing opportunity. It is distinct from queue depth, which counts how many items are waiting at a snapshot.
Queue age in practice
Queue age measures how long an item has waited for the next processing opportunity. It is distinct from queue depth, which counts how many items are waiting at a snapshot.
A concrete example
An illustrative review queue has four items, but one is 12 days old because it needs specialist input. Queue depth looks modest; queue age identifies the risk that needs ownership.
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
Queue age depends on the start event and on whether an item leaves the queue while waiting elsewhere. Preserve state history and explain intentional holds before comparing periods.
How this relates to Weave
Weave's engineering intelligence can help teams inspect delivery activity and timing around queue age. 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.
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