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It is not how long it is, but how you make it long – waiting lines in a multi‐step service process
Author(s) -
Fung K. K.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
system dynamics review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.491
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1099-1727
pISSN - 0883-7066
DOI - 10.1002/sdr.225
Subject(s) - bottleneck , queue , service (business) , computer science , process (computing) , line (geometry) , queueing theory , operations research , real time computing , distributed computing , computer network , business , engineering , mathematics , operating system , marketing , embedded system , geometry
Abstract Accurate signals are essential to ensure the integrity of the feedback mechanism in systems. But in a multi‐step service process such as a restaurant business, where the flow capacities of the service steps are not identical, visible signals may not indicate the true magnitude to which the system should respond. Specifically, the visible standing queue may not reflect the full length of the waiting line. And if potential customers cannot accurately judge the actual length of the waiting line, varying meal prices to regulate queue length would not be an effective feedback mechanism. Instead, queue length can be more effectively controlled by correctly identifying and widening the most binding bottleneck. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.