Teachers' forum: Spreadsheet modeling and simulation improves understanding of queues

Teachers' forum: Spreadsheet modeling and simulation improves understanding of queues

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Article ID: iaor20001487
Country: United States
Volume: 29
Issue: 3
Start Page Number: 88
End Page Number: 103
Publication Date: May 1999
Journal: Interfaces
Authors:
Keywords: information theory, education in OR, spreadsheets
Abstract:

Process-driven spreadsheet queuing simulation is a better vehicle for understanding queue behavior than queuing theory or dedicated simulation software. Spreadsheet queuing simulation has many pedagogical benefits in a business school end-user modeling course, including developing students' intuition, given them experience with active modeling skills, and providing access to tools. Spreadsheet queuing simulations are surprisingly easy to program, even for queues with balking and reneging. The ease of prototyping in spreadsheets invites thoughtless design, so careful spreadsheet programming practice is important. Spreadsheet queuing simulation is inferior to dedicated simulation software for analyzing queues but is more likely to be available to managers and students.

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