Summary

The case shows how concepts from operations management can be applied to a service setting (as opposed to manufacturing). With private equity as the setting, it aims to help students understand how to use systematic process and queuing analysis to design a professional service operation.

Teaching objectives

1. Systematic process analysis 2. The role of uncertainty in creating non-value-added time 3. The trade-off between efficiency and ability to attenuate the ill-effects of uncertainty by creating slack—(hence high utilization may sometimes lead to suboptimal outcomes). 4. Systematic sensitivity analysis for strategic planning.

Keywords
  • Management of Professional Services
  • Queuing Analysis
  • Service Operations
  • Private Equity
  • Process Analysis
  • Workflow Analysis
  • Staffing
  • Q31617