W4 discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W4 discussions - Essay Example Waiting-line models can equally be applied in the manufacturing of soda, canned foods, automotive components, and plastic products, the list being practically inexhaustible. By analyzing queues in terms of average waiting time, and the length of the waiting line, among other factors, managers in the manufacturing setting can make vital decisions regarding how many machines they should engage in production, when to schedule maintenance for particular machines, and establish the probability of having a given quantity of materials or inventory running in the system (wps.prenhall.com, n.d.). Queuing theory may help managers establish the probability of a system being idle which is important in deciding when and how often to schedule maintenance services for machines and equipment. Simply stated, queuing theory is no less important in product manufacturing than it is in service industries. Linear programming is a widely used mathematical technique designed to help operations managers plan and make decisions. Why is LP so important in decision making? So what are the major components of a linear programming problem? What does linear programming tell us about the allocation of resources? Linear programming according to purplemath (n.d.) is the process of analyzing the different linear inequalities that apply to a given situation to find the optimum value that can be obtained under those conditions. In this respect, linear programming is important in obtaining the â€Å"best† (optimum) value of a variable for a given set of conditions (purplemath, n.d.). For decision makers, linear programming is important in finding optimum (maximum and minimum) values which are important such as in maximizing profits and minimizing expenses among other desirable results. A linear programming problem has four basic components; decision variables, data/parameters, constraints, and objective