Queueing Theory Applied to Machine Manning

Cost pressures, recent expansion, and a limited labor pool triggered a two-year study coordinated by the Industrial Engineering Department of a high volume manufacturing plant. Plant management was introduced to the fundamentals of queueing theory and assisted in preparing a model applicable to optimum manpower/machine assignments. A resulting savings of $575,000, about one-fifth of plant manpower costs, was realized during the first year of implementation. In addition to the impact described in the paper on manpower and production demand, other areas significantly impacted were capital expansion, market strategy, and management decision making.