Research Reports from the Department of Operations
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
Recommended Citation
Bushnell, Jon L., "Use of Queueing Theory in Studying Research and Development Project Flow" (1968). Research Reports from the Department of Operations. 625.
https://commons.case.edu/wsom-ops-reports/625