What is Queue Discipline?

Queue discipline is the set of rules under which an organization processes incoming items. For example, a bank has rules for the order in which the next customer is handled, while a manufacturer has rules for the order in which it processes production orders. Algorithms may be used that optimize queue discipline. Some of the more common rules are:

First come, first served
Last come, first served
Serve in random order
Serve by priority
Shortest job first
Round robin

A business that does not use queue discipline is likely to have significantly lower process efficiency than the competition.

Advantages of Queue Discipline

There are multiple advantages associated with the use of queue discipline, which include the following:

Reduced wait times. Queue discipline can be configured to reduce the average wait time experienced by a person waiting in line, which is more likely to improve customer satisfaction levels.
Greater goal accomplishment. Queue discipline can be configured to ensure that the highest-priority tasks are completed first. This ensures that key goals are accomplished before lower-priority tasks.
Enhanced service management. Queue discipline can be adjusted to ensure that even the lowest-priority tasks are bumped up in the priority ranking if they have been held in the queue for too long.