Problem
The SM Superstore
You have just been hired as a consultant by Sue Model of Sue’s Markets. Although Sue has been in the grocery business for many years with a large chain of small stores, she just recently opened the first of a new type of store called The SM Superstore. The idea behind this new concept is to provide a huge store with numerous types of brands available and fast, friendly service. This first store is being used to test the layout and operating procedures for a large chain of superstores that Sue expects to build.
The first store has been open for six months, and Sue is still having a problem staffing the checkout counters during peak times, which occur from 2 PM to 10 PM. She has received many customer complaints about the long lines in front of the checkout counters. She has 20 checkouts that she can use, but has not been able to develop an adequate staffing plan to eliminate the long waits. Your consulting firm has been requested to develop an economical staffing plan that will meet Sue's requirements.
Prior to requesting your services, Sue hired a group of IE students from a local university to collect and analyze data. Some of those data are summarized in this document. Unfortunately, Sue is away on a well-deserved, one-month vacation in the South Pacific and cannot be reached. Furthermore, she indicated that she does not want her store personnel to be bothered by a bunch of consultants asking dumb questions and disrupting the store's operation. Thus, no additional information is available, and Sue wants your report on her desk when she returns from vacation. After reading the report, she may decide to ask for additional work. An informal survey was conducted to determine what wait times customers expect — the time customers wait in line before reaching the cashier. Most customers would prefer at most a 2- or 3-minute wait time, but are willing to wait as long as 10 or 12 minutes if the store is very busy. Customers did indicate that if they
You have just been hired as a consultant by Sue Model of Sue’s Markets. Although Sue has been in the grocery business for many years with a large chain of small stores, she just recently opened the first of a new type of store called The SM Superstore. The idea behind this new concept is to provide a huge store with numerous types of brands available and fast, friendly service. This first store is being used to test the layout and operating procedures for a large chain of superstores that Sue expects to build.
The first store has been open for six months, and Sue is still having a problem staffing the checkout counters during peak times, which occur from 2 PM to 10 PM. She has received many customer complaints about the long lines in front of the checkout counters. She has 20 checkouts that she can use, but has not been able to develop an adequate staffing plan to eliminate the long waits. Your consulting firm has been requested to develop an economical staffing plan that will meet Sue's requirements.
Prior to requesting your services, Sue hired a group of IE students from a local university to collect and analyze data. Some of those data are summarized in this document. Unfortunately, Sue is away on a well-deserved, one-month vacation in the South Pacific and cannot be reached. Furthermore, she indicated that she does not want her store personnel to be bothered by a bunch of consultants asking dumb questions and disrupting the store's operation. Thus, no additional information is available, and Sue wants your report on her desk when she returns from vacation. After reading the report, she may decide to ask for additional work. An informal survey was conducted to determine what wait times customers expect — the time customers wait in line before reaching the cashier. Most customers would prefer at most a 2- or 3-minute wait time, but are willing to wait as long as 10 or 12 minutes if the store is very busy. Customers did indicate that if they