$1.$ You are the operations manager at a large metropolitan hospital. The emergency department $($ED$)$ has been experiencing significant overcrowding and prolonged wait times, leading to patient dissatisfaction and potential adverse health outcomes. The hospital administration has tasked you with developing a comprehensive plan to optimize resource allocation within the ED to address these challenges.

Using relevant analytical tools and techniques, analyse the current resource allocation process within the ED$,$ and propose a data$-$driven strategy to optimize the utilization of resources, such as staffing, equipment, and physical space. Your analysis should consider factors like patient demand patterns, triage processes, and bottlenecks in the patient flow.