Service Management: Operations, Strategy, Information Technology 8th Edition by James Fitzsimmons,Mona Fitzsimmons,Sanjeev Bordoloi

Exercise 15

An outpatient clinic has kept a record of walk-in patients during the past year. The table below shows the expected number of walk-ins by day of the week:

The clinic has a staff of five physicians, and each can examine 15 patients a day on average.
a. What is the maximum number of appointments that should be scheduled for each day if it is desirable to smooth out the demand for the week?
b. Why would you recommend against scheduling appointments at their maximum level?
c. If most walk-ins arrive in the morning, when should the appointments be made to avoid excessive waiting?