Exam 18: Management of Waiting Lines

A multiple-channel queuing system with a Poisson arrival rate and exponential service time has an average arrival rate of four customers per hour and an average service time of 18 minutes per customer. The minimum number of servers required to avoid an overloaded system is:

As the ratio of arrival rate to service rate is increased, which of the following is likely?

An alternative strategy to increase the capacity of a service system is:

Compared to a single-channel system with exponential service time, a single-channel system with a constant service time causes a reduction of 50 percent in the average number waiting in line.

A single-bay car wash with a Poisson arrival rate and an exponential service time has cars arriving an average of 10 minutes apart, and an average service time of four minutes. The system utilization is:

A multiple-channel system has customers arriving at an average rate of five per hour and an average service time of 40 minutes. The minimum number of servers for this system to be underloaded is:

A manager assembled the following information about an infinite-source waiting line system: five servers, an arrival rate of six per hour, and a service time of 20 minutes. The manager has determined that the average number of customers waiting for service is .04. Determine each of the following: (A) the system utilization (B) the average waiting time in line in minutes (C) the average time in the system (D) the average number in the system

Two troubleshooters handle service calls for 10 machines. The average time between service requirements is 18 days, and service time averages two days. Assume exponential distributions. While running, each machine can produce 1,500 pieces per day. Determine: (A) the percentage of time troubleshooters are idle. (B) each machine's net productivity. (C) If troubleshooters represent a cost of $150 per day, and machine downtime cost is $600 per day, would another troubleshooter be justified? Explain.

A customer growing frustrated with the wait and leaving the facility (without being served) is an example of:

A restaurant that implements a limited menu and a "no substitutions" policy during peak dining hours is practicing _____________ with respect to waiting-line management.

A restaurant at a popular Colorado casino provides priority service to player's card holders. The restaurant has 10 tables or booths where customers may be seated. The service time (time a booth or table is occupied) averages 40 minutes once a party is seated. The customer arrival rate is 12 parties per hour, with the parties being equally divided between card holders and people without player's cards. What is the average time that player's card holders wait to be seated?

In a theme park like Disney world, reservation systems are a win-lose situation since only those holding reservations are satisfied.

The value of standardizing some or all of a service is demonstrated by the shorter wait times observed in models with:

A restaurant at a popular Colorado casino provides priority service to player's card holders. The restaurant has 10 tables or booths where customers may be seated. The service time (time a booth or table is occupied) averages 40 minutes once a party is seated. The customer arrival rate is 12 parties per hour, with the parties being equally divided between card holders and people without player's cards. On average, how much longer do parties without player's cards spend in the system, compared to parties with the player's cards?

A system has one service facility that can service 10 customers per hour. The customers arrive at a variable rate, which averages six per hour. Since there is excess capacity, no waiting lines will form.

Why is there waiting in an infinite-source queuing system?

Consider these data regarding the multiple-server, priority service queuing model: Priority Average Arrival Rate High 3 per hour (Poisson) Low 5 per hour (Poisson) Service Rate: 2 per hour (Poisson) Number of Servers: 5 What is the average number of all items waiting in line for service?

In an infinite-source model, the average time in line is equal to the average number in line divided by the arrival rate.

To reduce waiting times by actively managing system constraints, managers could consider: (I) using temporary workers. (II) shifting demand from high-demand periods to low-demand periods. (III) offering more service variety. (IV) discovering bottlenecks.

A restaurant at a popular Colorado casino provides priority service to player's card holders. The restaurant has 10 tables or booths where customers may be seated. The service time (time a booth or table is occupied) averages 40 minutes once a party is seated. The customer arrival rate is 12 parties per hour, with the parties being equally divided between card holders and people without player's cards. On average, how many parties without player's cards are waiting to be seated?