A supermarket is trying to decide how many cash registers to keep open. Suppose an average of
Question:
A supermarket is trying to decide how many cash registers to keep open. Suppose an average of 18 customers arrive each hour, and the average checkout time for a customer is four minutes. Inter-arrival times and service times are exponentially distributed, and the system can be modeled as an M/M/s system. (In contrast to the situation at most supermarkets, we assume that all customers wait in a single-line.) It costs $20 per hour to operate a cash register, and a cost of $0.25 is assessed for each minute the customer spends in the cash register area (in line or being served). How many registers should the store open to minimize the expected hourly cost?
Step by Step Answer:
Practical Management Science
ISBN: 978-1305250901
5th edition
Authors: Wayne L. Winston, Christian Albright