Description
Module 14: Waiting Lines
in this module, you will learn about the management of waiting lines. The focus will be on the managerial implications of waiting lines to include the cost of providing waiting space and the costs of not providing adequate waiting space to customers. In addition, you will focus on the goals of waiting-line management, the characteristics of waiting lines, measures of waiting-line performance, and the various steady-state queuing models used to evaluate waiting lines.
Discussion Question
Question Requirements:
Waiting Lines
Many businesses utilize waiting lines to manage customer service. For example, banks, amusement parks, supermarket checkouts, fast food restaurants, call centers, check-in counters at airports, emergency departments of hospitals, and so many more. In the course of your week, consider an experience you had that led to a temporary demand for service that exceeded capacity, for example, variation in service duration or arrival rates, which led to a waiting line.
Select a real-world business scenario (e.g., a retail store, a restaurant, a healthcare facility) where waiting lines are common.
Address the following requirements:
- Describe the typical waiting line challenges faced by this type of business.
- What are the key factors that contribute to waiting lines in the selected business scenario?
- How can the business minimize waiting times while keeping costs low?
Directions:
- Discuss the concepts, principles, and theories from your textbook. Cite your textbooks and cite any other sources.
- Write a discussion that includes an introduction paragraph, the body, and a conclusion paragraph to address the assignment’s guide questions.
- Your initial post should address all components of the question with a 600-word limit.
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate the managerial implications of waiting lines.
- Apply steady state queuing models to waiting line management problems.
Readings
Required:
- Chapter 18 in Operations Management
- Chapter 18 PowerPoint Presentation
- Casales Morici, B., Augustsson, H., Hasson, H., & Ebbevi, D. (2023). Information and support to patients when the waiting time guarantee cannot be fulfilled: a qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-01935-1
- Gebeyehu, S. G., Abebe, M., & Gochel, A. (2022). Production lead time improvement through lean manufacturing. Cogent Engineering, 9(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2022.2034255
Recommended:
- Meier, E., & Dubosson, M. (2023). New Challenges on Waiting Lines and Servicescapes During the Covid-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Management, 23(1), 135–150.
