Exercise 4: Market Market

Problem: Market Market is a small local grocery store with only one checkout counter.
Assume that shoppers arrive at the checkout lane according to a Poisson probability
distribution, with an arrival rate of 9 customers per hour. The checkout service times
follow an exponential probability distribution, with a service rate of 3 customers per 15
minutes. Compute the operating characteristics for this waiting line.

QUESTION: Is there a need to open another checkout counter? Why?

 Yes, because for a small grocery store, 15 mins spending time waiting to be
served and 20 the system itself is relatively high. Market Market should open
another checkout counter to lessen the amount of time that the customers will
wait.

 customers

1. System utilization or the probability of an arriving 9

Solution: Pw = =0.75
customer will wait? 12

2. Percentage of time the server will be idle? 9

Solution: P0=1− =0.25
12

3. The expected number of customers waiting to be 92

served? Solution: Lq= =2.25 customers
12(12−9)

4. The expected number of customers in the system? 9

Solution: L=2.25+ =3 customers
12

5. The average time a customer will spend waiting to 9

Solution:W q = =¿0.25 𝑜𝑟 15 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠.
be served? 12( 12−9)

6. The average time customers will spend in the 1

Solution:W = =¿0.3333 𝑜𝑟 20 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠.
system? 12−9

7. The probability that there are 4 customers in the Solution:

system at any given time? 9 4
Pn=( ) P 0=0.0791
12