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In partnership with SystemsWay School of Management and Leadership

Queue As a System

How queues play a major role in software development and why you need to understand it deeply

Duration: TBD
Delivery: TBD

Course Overview

Why this course

Most teams experience delays, firefighting, and constant reprioritization without realizing queues are silently driving all of it. This course gives you a clear, decision-ready lens to see how work-in-progress, handoffs, and dependencies are slowing you down—and what to do about it. If you want faster flow and more predictable delivery, you need to understand queues as the underlying system.

What you'll learn

You will learn the fundamentals of queueing theory and its implications in software product development. Discover how invisible queues impact cycle time, economic performance, and productivity. You'll also see how queue management principles empower teams to make faster decisions, optimize flow, and achieve greater efficiency.

Queueing Theory
The science behind queues and their real impact on software teams and processes
Invisible Inventory
Understanding invisible queues and how they drive delays and waste
Decision Making
Improve decision speed by recognizing and controlling queues in your workflow
Team Management
How queues between interdependent teams affect delivery and collaboration
Productivity Gain
Applying queue management to achieve rapid flow and maximum productivity

Curriculum

Course Modules

0
Pre-Course
Pre-Read Material
  • "FLOW" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (for understanding flow state in work)
  • _Principles of Product Development Flow_ (Ch. 3: Managing Queues)
1
Week 1
Queueing Theory in Software
  • Fundamentals of Queueing Theory
  • The Concept of "Invisible Inventory" in Product Development
  • Common Sources and Types of Queues in Software Projects
2
Week 2
Economic Impact of Queues
  • How Queues Drive Cycle Time and Cost
  • The Relationship Between Queue Size and Capacity Utilization
  • Economic Waste from Queues
3
Week 3
Managing and Controlling Queues
  • Detecting High-Queue States and Their Economic Danger
  • Interventions and Strategies for Queue Management
  • Practical Tools: Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs) and Little's Formula
  • Optimizing Queue Size vs. Capacity Cost
4
Week 4
Teams, Flow, and Productivity
  • How Queueing Discipline Shapes Team Output
  • Connecting Linked Queues Across Functions
  • Controlling Queue Size for Fast Feedback and Supreme Team Productivity

Meet Your Instructor

Manish Jain

Founder and CEO, SDLC.Works | Creator, SystemsWay School of Leadership and Management

Manish Jain is an Applied Organizational Theorist driven by one haunting question: Why do people design systems in which they themselves suffer? His search for answers revealed a shocking truth: while every methodology sold to corporations is based on Systems Thinking, everyone sells methodology but not the thinking that should go along with it. His journey began with a simple yet profound question: Why do people suffer in systems they themselves have created? The inquiry extended to why employees complain about workplace systems they helped develop, and why citizens are dissatisfied with their country's systems. Despite having the power to fix these systems, people often experience issues like poor quality, low productivity, and failed projects — almost as if sabotaged by outsiders. Manish realized the root lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of how systems work. People instinctively create systems but often fail to understand their dynamics. He established SystemsWay to help people learn how to design, operate, and manage the systems they are a part of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions? Find answers to common inquiries about the course.

Common Questions

Who can attend this course?
Technology professionals, engineering managers, product leaders, and anyone involved in software product development.
Is prior knowledge of queueing theory required?
No prior experience needed; foundational concepts will be explained and examples provided.
Will this course cover practical tools for managing queues?
Yes, including Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs) and Little's Formula for real-world application.

Still have questions? We're here to help!

Reach out and we'll follow up with course details and answers.

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