Research Reports from the Department of Operations

Authors

Jon L. Bushnell

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

10-1-1968

Abstract

This study explores the potential applications of queueing theory to research and development (R&D) operations, drawing parallels between projects in an R&D facility and customers in a traditional queueing system. Projects are accepted, assigned to researchers or queued for future scheduling, and ultimately completed. The research focuses on determining the applicability of established queueing theory techniques rather than developing new methods. To assess feasibility, mathematical models were constructed to represent the system in an idealized manner, requiring identification of key parameters, system characteristics, and performance metrics. The study addresses critical questions, including which queueing models can describe the system, how effectively these models can yield results, and the value of those results in understanding R&D system behavior. This work provides a foundation for applying queueing theory to optimize R&D operations.

Keywords

Operations research, Queuing theory, Research and development projects, Mathematical models

Publication Title

Technical Memorandums from the Department of Operations, School of Management, Case Western Reserve University

Issue

Technical memorandum no. 125

Rights

This work is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded for personal or academic use

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