Machinists who work at a tool-and-die plant must check out tools from a tool center. An average of eight machinists per hour arrive seeking tools. At present, the tool center is staffed by a clerk who is paid $10 per hour and who takes an average of 5 minutes to handle each request for tools. Since each machinist produces $17 worth of goods per hour, each hour that a machinist spends at the tool center costs the company $17. The company is deciding whether or not it is worthwhile to hire (at $6 per hour) a helper for the clerk. If the helper is hired, the clerk will take an average of only 4 minutes to process requests for tools. Assume that service and inter-arrival times are exponential. Should the helper be hired?

Machinists who work at a tool-and-die plant must check out tools from a tool center. An average of eight machinists per hour arrive seeking tools. At present, the tool center is staffed by a clerk who is paid $10 per hour and who takes an average of 5 minutes to handle each request for tools. Since each machinist produces $17 worth of goods per hour, each hour that a machinist spends at the tool center costs the company $17. The company is deciding whether or not it is worthwhile to hire (at $6 per hour) a helper for the clerk. If the helper is hired, the clerk will take an average of only 4 minutes to process requests for tools. Assume that service and inter-arrival times are exponential. Should the helper be hired?

Practical Management Science

6th Edition

ISBN:9781337406659

Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Chapter12: Queueing Models

Section12.5: Analytic Steady-state Queueing Models

Problem 9P

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