Web-based Simulations for Teaching Queueing, Little's Law, and Inventory Management

Abstract

We describe and make available three web-based simulations that help to teach concepts related to process flow and variability. These programs simulate, (i) a G/G/1 queue, (ii) a single-stage process to demonstrate the long-run validity of Little's Law and (iii) a continuous-time reorder point/reorder quantity inventory system. All of the simulations are interactive, for they allow users to change system parameters by moving simple sliders. The simulations do not require specialized software to run and are available through any web browser. We offer evidence of how the simulations have helped the students to learn, including documentation from a web-based exercise with the queueing simulation that was completed by 74 students.This document describes three web-based simulations that help students understand the dynamics of continuoustime systems subject to variability. The simulations have been useful in introductory MBA operations management courses, and they would also be appropriate for undergraduate courses in operations research and operations management. Given that the simulations are simple to use and entertaining to watch, they may also be appropriate for high school students to motivate the study of operations research.This document describes the simulations, the pedagogical goals that motivated their development, alternate teaching tools that are available to instructors, and how we have used the simulations in the classroom. We end with a description of how the models helped our students to learn the concepts, including a summary of the students' answers to a set of web-based exercises with one of the simulations.