jonotusaika

Jonotusaika refers to the period a person or item spends waiting in a queue before service or processing begins. The term is a Finnish compound of jono ("queue") and aika ("time"). It is used in customer service, public administration, healthcare and other service sectors to describe the duration of waiting before an interaction or a transaction starts.

Measuring jonotusaika typically involves recording the arrival time and the moment service begins, then computing statistics such as the average waiting time (mean Wq) or the distribution of waits. Data are drawn from retail checkouts, call centers, clinics, or online systems. In queueing theory, waiting time depends on arrival rates, service rates, and the number of servers; different models (for example, M/M/1 or M/M/c) yield different expectations. In practice, estimates come from historical logs or real-time monitoring.

Reducing jonotusaika is a common objective in service design because longer waits can reduce satisfaction and throughput. Strategies include increasing capacity, scheduling and appointment systems, self-service options, process improvements, and real-time queue management. Effectiveness is evaluated with metrics such as wait time reductions, service level targets, and customer feedback, often using before–after analyses or controlled pilots.