Proposing a Model for Analyzing and Improving a Service System through Queue Theory and Simulation Approach (Case: Hamedan Power Company)

Abstract

It’s evident that waiting in a queue is not desirable. Nevertheless, reducing the waiting time will be costly. In order to enhance the efficiency and improve the performance of a system, there are some solutions that result in reductions in the response time and enhancement in user satisfaction. Among all, the simulation approach does not deliver a real optimal solution but provides a description of the events that take place under certain conditions in the system. Through such a model, the decision-maker can investigate system improvements via scenario analysis. This study aims to analyze a system’s behavior through queue modeling, simulation, and statistical analysis. The case under study was a service system i.e. the financial department of Hamedan Power Company. This system was modeled and analyzed via the ED software, version 8.1. Thereby, improving changes were foreseen and statistically analyzed. Findings on the proposed scenario show a significant reduction in the total waiting time of this system. Based on this scenario, it was proposed that three personnel – via a training program – serve all the three customer types (A, B, & C). In this way, the model format changed. Almost 60 seconds of each customer’s time was saved thereby. Hence the workflow can be changed through interventions such as developing some training programs.

Keywords

• services management
• simulation
• queue theory
• ed software