Checklist
Make queue overtaking an explicit exception
A queue with invisible shortcuts is not the queue people think they joined.
Before you use it
- Use when
- New easy requests continually jump ahead of older work.
- Avoid when
- FIFO is not appropriate for every clinical, safety or business priority. Use an explicit suitable policy rather than a mechanical universal rule.
An idea to explore.
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Inspect the example, try the idea in your situation, then check your next move.
Checklist
- Define the normal ordering rule for comparable work.
- State which conditions legitimately override that order and who decides.
- Record why an item was overtaken and when it will be reconsidered, so exceptions do not become permanent neglect.
Why it matters
People need an ordering rule they can understand. If comparable work normally follows arrival order, make each legitimate exception visible and give displaced work another review point.
An example
A support queue normally follows arrival order within a service class, while genuine outages use a visible urgent route. Personal familiarity is not a secret third route.
Check your result
Could a waiting person understand why another item went first?
Keep this limit in mind
- FIFO is not appropriate for every clinical, safety or business priority. Use an explicit suitable policy rather than a mechanical universal rule.
My learning
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Connected ideas
Useful withWhich unfinished item is getting older without moving?
These ideas link to this one. Check their conditions and limits before use.
Useful with this ideaReplenish from a real downstream signal
Evidence and sources (1)
FIFO preserves order through a defined queue instead of allowing arbitrary overtaking.
Claim basis: professional_convention. Claim limit: Urgent or safety-critical exceptions require an explicit appropriate policy. Source access: selected_html_passages; accessed on: 2026-09-17; inspected sections: ["Definition and controlled queue"]. Agent scope review, 2026-10-11: LEI FIFO describes a queue ordering convention. Transparent urgent exceptions are editorial design, not evidence that arrival order fits every safety or clinical task.
First In, First Out (FIFO) · Definition
All sources (1)
Edition and review
Version 0.1.0 · Published
Agent review: Agent editorial and scoped evidence review · 2026-10-11