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OIS 3660- FINAL STUDY GUIDE
(PT.1) 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS| ACE YOUR GRADES.
If a process is best situated close to the information corner of the
OM triangle, then this must mean:
All the other answers are correct
Capacity is very expensive, so we limit how much we buy, leading
to high utilization
There is little waiting for this process
There is low variability in arrivals and processing times - correct
answer -All of the above
Meal service to the economy class on an airplane should be
located where in the OM Triangle? - correct answer -Low
Capacity, medium Inventory, and medium Information
Which of the following statements about the curse of variability is
correct? - correct answer -A reduction in variability can lead to a
reduction in inventory
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Assume a processing system with three separate queues (one in
front of each of three resources). Under which of the following
conditions would pooling these three separate queues into one
queue reap the HIGHEST benefit? - correct answer -When
utilization is relatively high to begin with (e.g., higher than 90%)
By how much, on average, would the waiting time decrease if two
servers were pooled in the following setting (note: all answers are
rounded to whole minutes):
1) Two servers each with their own queue.
2) Arrival rate of 10 customers per hour, arriving randomly and
picking one of the two lines randomly.
3) Processing time of 10 minutes per customer, with a standard
deviation of 5 minutes. - correct answer -Before pooling: 31
minutes, after pooling: 14 minutes, so decrease of 17 minutes
Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of 7 due to a variability factor of 2 and a utilization of 0.8. If
we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Capacity corner, then how many
more servers do we need to get to an average inventory in the
queue of approximately 0.2? Assume variability remains
unchanged. - correct answer -We need to quadruple the number
of servers
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Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of (almost) 7 due to a variability of 2 and a utilization of 0.8.
If we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Information corner, then by how
much should we reduce the variability to achieve an average
inventory in the queue of approximately 1? Assume utilization
remains unchanged. As always, look at all the answers and
choose the best! - correct answer -To a variability factor of
approximately 0.25.
In a system without any variability and a utilization of 99% we pool
three queues into one queue. What is the result? - correct answer
-Waiting times stay the same and utilization remains the same as
well
By how much, on average, would the time spent in the system
decrease if three servers were pooled in the following setting
(note: all answers are rounded to whole minutes):
1) Three servers each with their own queue.
2) Arrival rate of 15 customers per hour, arriving randomly and
picking one of the three lines randomly.
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3) Processing time of 10 minutes per customer, with a standard
deviation of 5 minutes. - correct answer -Before pooling: 41
minutes, after pooling: 19 minutes, so a decrease of 22 minutes
By how much, on average, would the total number of customers
(the sum of those in all queues plus those in all servers) change if
two servers were pooled in the following setting:
1) Before pooling, there are two servers each with their own
queue.
2) Each server has an arrival rate of 5 customers per hour,
arriving randomly.
3) Each server has a processing time of 10 minutes per customer,
with a standard deviation of 10 minutes.
Remember, the question is asking about the TOTAL number of
customers in all queue(s) plus those in all servers. - correct
answer -Before pooling: 10 customers, after pooling: 5.5
customers, so decrease of 4.5 customers
Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of (almost) 7 due to a variability of 2 and a utilization of 0.8.
If we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Information corner, then by how
much should we reduce the variability to achieve an average
inventory in the queue of approximately 1.5? Assume utilization
OIS 3660- FINAL STUDY GUIDE
(PT.1) 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS| ACE YOUR GRADES.
If a process is best situated close to the information corner of the
OM triangle, then this must mean:
All the other answers are correct
Capacity is very expensive, so we limit how much we buy, leading
to high utilization
There is little waiting for this process
There is low variability in arrivals and processing times - correct
answer -All of the above
Meal service to the economy class on an airplane should be
located where in the OM Triangle? - correct answer -Low
Capacity, medium Inventory, and medium Information
Which of the following statements about the curse of variability is
correct? - correct answer -A reduction in variability can lead to a
reduction in inventory
, Page | 2
Assume a processing system with three separate queues (one in
front of each of three resources). Under which of the following
conditions would pooling these three separate queues into one
queue reap the HIGHEST benefit? - correct answer -When
utilization is relatively high to begin with (e.g., higher than 90%)
By how much, on average, would the waiting time decrease if two
servers were pooled in the following setting (note: all answers are
rounded to whole minutes):
1) Two servers each with their own queue.
2) Arrival rate of 10 customers per hour, arriving randomly and
picking one of the two lines randomly.
3) Processing time of 10 minutes per customer, with a standard
deviation of 5 minutes. - correct answer -Before pooling: 31
minutes, after pooling: 14 minutes, so decrease of 17 minutes
Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of 7 due to a variability factor of 2 and a utilization of 0.8. If
we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Capacity corner, then how many
more servers do we need to get to an average inventory in the
queue of approximately 0.2? Assume variability remains
unchanged. - correct answer -We need to quadruple the number
of servers
, Page | 3
Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of (almost) 7 due to a variability of 2 and a utilization of 0.8.
If we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Information corner, then by how
much should we reduce the variability to achieve an average
inventory in the queue of approximately 1? Assume utilization
remains unchanged. As always, look at all the answers and
choose the best! - correct answer -To a variability factor of
approximately 0.25.
In a system without any variability and a utilization of 99% we pool
three queues into one queue. What is the result? - correct answer
-Waiting times stay the same and utilization remains the same as
well
By how much, on average, would the time spent in the system
decrease if three servers were pooled in the following setting
(note: all answers are rounded to whole minutes):
1) Three servers each with their own queue.
2) Arrival rate of 15 customers per hour, arriving randomly and
picking one of the three lines randomly.
, Page | 4
3) Processing time of 10 minutes per customer, with a standard
deviation of 5 minutes. - correct answer -Before pooling: 41
minutes, after pooling: 19 minutes, so a decrease of 22 minutes
By how much, on average, would the total number of customers
(the sum of those in all queues plus those in all servers) change if
two servers were pooled in the following setting:
1) Before pooling, there are two servers each with their own
queue.
2) Each server has an arrival rate of 5 customers per hour,
arriving randomly.
3) Each server has a processing time of 10 minutes per customer,
with a standard deviation of 10 minutes.
Remember, the question is asking about the TOTAL number of
customers in all queue(s) plus those in all servers. - correct
answer -Before pooling: 10 customers, after pooling: 5.5
customers, so decrease of 4.5 customers
Consider the graph below in answering the following OM Triangle
question. We are currently located at an average inventory in the
queue of (almost) 7 due to a variability of 2 and a utilization of 0.8.
If we want to leave this position in the Inventory corner, and we
want to make our way to the Information corner, then by how
much should we reduce the variability to achieve an average
inventory in the queue of approximately 1.5? Assume utilization
