Separate the flow from the queue
Demand is the work arriving. Capacity is the work the service can complete under its actual operating conditions. The queue is the work waiting between those points. Treating all three as a single caseload figure makes the cause of pressure difficult to identify.
A service may complete as much work as arrives and still carry a substantial backlog. Conversely, a short-term improvement in waiting may come from temporary capacity that cannot be sustained. Understand the flow before setting a recovery target.
Stable averages do not guarantee stable waiting
When arrivals and processing times vary, planning to use every available slot leaves little resilience. Test the effect of peaks, absence and complex work rather than treating average demand and average capacity as a sufficient operating plan.
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Inside the full briefing
- The minimum operating picture
- Account for variation and complexity
- Identify the constraint before adding resource
- Questions for service managers
- Where to start