Practical guide

Estimate an arrival-workload scenario without pretending to predict the queue

Last materially reviewed 2026-09-28

Quick answerA simple time calculation can expose assumptions; it cannot certify staffing, waiting time or safe capacity.
What to know

Keep the calculation narrow

This worksheet multiplies assumed arrivals by assumed handling seconds and divides by active processing positions. It gives an idealized processing duration in minutes. It assumes identical work and fully available positions, which real entrances rarely achieve. The output is not a queue forecast, staffing recommendation, venue capacity calculation or safety assessment. Use it to make a planning assumption visible, then discuss the actual operation with the responsible team.

What to know

Choose a useful scenario

Use a defined arrival burst rather than the whole day’s ticket sales. Enter a handling-time assumption that includes the task you intend to model. If exceptions are handled elsewhere, say so; if they are included, the average means something different. Do not invent a measured rate or borrow a promotional scanner speed as your observed throughput. An honest range of hypothetical inputs is more useful than a precise-looking unsupported prediction.

What to know

Read what the tool omits

The calculation does not model uneven arrivals, correlated delays, walking space, accessibility needs, breaks, payment failures or coordination between disconnected devices. More positions do not guarantee proportional improvement. The organization must also follow its venue and safety arrangements. Inputs stay in the browser and are not stored or sent by the worksheet. Use anonymous counts only; attendee details add nothing to this arithmetic.

What to know

A fictional worked example

Suppose 120 arrivals each require an assumed 20 seconds of processing across two continuously available positions. The idealized work is 20 minutes per position. That does not mean the last person waits 20 minutes or that two positions are sufficient. Changing the assumptions shows how sensitive the scenario is. The next useful step is an authorized rehearsal and a review of exception handling, not treating the output as a certified operating plan.

Continue when useful

Next: Admission rehearsal

Test ordinary and awkward cases with the actual roles; record observations, not a blanket pass.

Open Admission rehearsal →

Sources used for this page

These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.

  1. Ticket Tailor: preparing check-in devices — Merchant documentation · help.tickettailor.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-28
  2. Ticket Tailor: attendee check-in — Merchant documentation · help.tickettailor.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-28
WORKSHEET 01 / ASSUMPTIONS

Make workload visible.

Idealized work duration if arrivals are evenly shared and every position works continuously. Not waiting time, a staffing recommendation or safe venue capacity.

Read the assumptions →
Enter all three assumptions. Blank means unknown.