The Problem in Words
You operate a motor rebuilding business that services auto repair shops throughout a several state area. Motors arrive on trucks in batches of up to four motors per truck. On average, trucks arrive 1.5 times a day. The probabilities that a truck contains 1, 2, 3 or 4 motors are, respectively, .1, .2, .3 and .4. You presently have five workstations that can each rebuild two motors per day.
You would like to introduce a priority service that, in exchange for a higher fee, guarantees your customers a one day turnaround. To do this effectively, at least one workstation must be free 90 percent of the time in order to begin immediate repair of any incoming priority job. Are your current facilities adequate for this level of service?