odottusaika
Odottusaika, in Finnish, refers to the time a person or item spends waiting before starting service or being processed. The word is formed from odottaa, to wait, and aika, time. In everyday language it is used across contexts such as public administration, healthcare, transportation, and customer service to describe how long people must wait for an appointment, instrument, or decision.
In queueing theory and service management, odottusaika is closely related to waiting time. It typically distinguishes
Factors that influence odottusaika include arrival rates, service rates, variability in demand, and scheduling policies. High
While a shorter odottusaika is generally desirable, it must be balanced against resource use and service quality.