Strategic Idling in Appointment Systems with Sequential Servers

• DOI: 10.1287/msom.2022.0278
• Publication Date: 2025-02-27T15:16:32Z
• Authors: You Hui Goh; Zihao Li; Zhenzhen Yan

Problem definition: This paper addresses an appointment scheduling problem involving multiple sequential servers using a distributionally robust optimization (DRO) approach. Two decisions are optimized: the schedule for patient visits and adjusting policy to rebalance customers’ waiting time across servers. Methodology/results: We formulate in sequential-servers systems conic optimization, incorporating service correlations. find that traditional cost-minimization approach results imbalanced times, concentrated at downstream To address this, we propose strategically idling upstream servers, inspired by queueing literature, develop DRO model jointly optimize strategic (SI) policy. Through extensive numerical studies, thoroughly examine role of SI system’s performance effect correlation information on optimal Finally, data from clinic, conduct case study demonstrate advantage our policy, over existing policies literature. Managerial implications: First, provides is effective balancing times some scenarios, also reduces total time, with cost borne provider’s overtime. Second, typical dome-shaped congested as it evenly distributes congestion correlations lessens expected improves patients’ experience balanced Funding: Z. Yan received financial support Ministry Education, Singapore [AcRF Tier 1 Grant RG20/23] School Physical Mathematical Sciences Collaborative Research Award (2024). Supplemental Material: The online appendix available https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0278 .