Question

Pick a Service process you are familiar and identify the following:

1. Calling Population

2. Arrival process

3. Queue Configuration

4. Queue Discipline

5. Service process

Thanks!

Answer 1

The service process picked here is arrival of patients by appointment at a health clinic. The following can be identified as follows :-

1.Calling population - It is the population of possible no. of customers availing the service. Since a finite number of customers are availing the service by appointment, the calling population is finite.

2.Arrival Process - Arrival process in case of patients availing health services at a health clinic by appointment will depend on the schedule of appointments. The time between the appointments will be interarrival time if the customers come on time. There will be uniform arrival times if the appointment are equally spaced.

3.Queue Configuration - Queue configuration is done to manage congestion in the system. The queue configuration will be done following priority queueing methods which involves manually configuring the low , medium, normal and high priority queueing.

4.Queue Discipline - It includes rules that a service process follows in providing service. In this case the patients will be provided the service at the health clinic based on their appointments or whoever arrives first.

5.Service Process - Service process refers to the steps in the process of service delivery. In case of patients coming to a healthcare clinic by appointment , the service process steps will include their registration and charging of fees, taking their details, assigning them serial number to specify the sequence of visit, consultation and prescribing them the necessary treatment.