A public health agency in Venezuela is providing free polio vaccines. Patient arrivals seem to be random throughout the day, with an average of 288 per day. The public health nurse can provide up to 360 doses per day. The clinic is open 6hours a day, but it gives doses to all persons waiting at closing time.
a. How large should its waiting area be? What service parameter would need to be defined to determine this? Explain your answer.
b. Assume that the service time is not actually random. In fact, the service always takes exactly 1 minute. What is your new answer to part (a)?
c. Criticize your answer to part (a) from the point of view of the steady-state assumption.