Using Arena Simulate:

People (entities) going to a strip mall of restaurants

People arrive as an exponential process, once every minute. Two entities per arrival. People choose from among three restaurants. Each restaurant has a certain number of workers (resources) available:

McDonald’s (20%). 10 workers (resources) available.

Chipotle (60%). 7 workers (resources) available.

Outback (20%). 6 workers (resources) are available.

Model each of the following menu items as a “Process,” which uses “Seize-Delay-Release” logic actions. Each menu item uses one resource (worker). Each has an item price.

If they choose McDonald’s, they can choose:

Happy Meal (50%) ($2.50) Triangular delay. Min: 0 Minutes. Most likely: 1 minute. Max: 2 minutes

Grilled Chicken (50%) ($4) Triangular delay. Min: 0 Minutes. Most likely: 3 minutes. Max: 7 minutes

If they choose Chipotle, they can choose:

Burrito (75%) ($5) Triangular delay. Min: 2 Minutes. Most likely: 3 minutes. Max: 4 minutes

Quesadilla (25%) ($5) Triangular delay. Min: 4 Minutes. Most likely: 5 minutes. Max: 7 minutes

If they choose Outback, they can choose:

Shrimp Cocktail (25%) ($9) Triangular delay. Min: 0 Minutes. Most likely: 1 minute. Max: 3 minutes

Lamb Chops (75%) ($25) Triangular delay. Min: 10 Minutes. Most likely: 20 minutes. Max: 30 minutes

Simulate over eight hour time period (just one replication)

A) How many of each item is sold, and how much is made ($)?

B) What’s the economic value to Outback of adding one more worker? What’s the most Outback should be willing to pay this person per hour?

c)This model is obviously a gross simplification of complex real-world phenomena. If you were to increase the unit price of any item, how might that affect real-world decision-making? Explain how could we account for that in this model.