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?
