Reducing waiting time at security checkpoints

The authors were asked to improve the time it took a queue of cars to go through a security gate every morning and afternoon. Each individual passing through the gate was required to show a security badge to a guard. The goal was to improve processing time and to eliminate a safety problem at the gate without increasing the required resources. This problem required quick resolution. The project was initiated using queueing theory. After collecting data, the authors determined that a simulation model would be more appropriate. The study demonstrated that a significant improvement could be seen when the same number of guards worked two parallel traffic lines leading to the single gate, instead of working in a serial process from a single line of traffic.