Hands-on option

Basic stage for the hands-on option

Interacting with the scheduling model and the solution method studied in class, examine systematically how the following factors appear to affect the percentage of appointments that are successfully scheduled:

• Number of patients
• Average number of appointments per patient
• Probability of doctor availability
• Probability of equipment availability

Explain first the methodology you have designed for your systematic examination, then report your results, and conclude with an interpretation of the results. Remember to clearly cite any sources you may consult while designing and reporting.

In-depth stage for the hands-on option

What other factors can you identify there that also appear to affect the percentage of appointments scheduled? Draft some guidelines on how one could attempt to map out such dependencies between adjustable parameters and the characteristics of the resulting solution.

Apply your guidelines to this scenario and report your findings. Include both the guidelines and the findings in clear writing in your response.

Conceptual option

Basic stage for the conceptual option

Based on the exploration of the tool in class, document how one could deduce actionable insights on the following aspects using a model like the one studied in class?

• Which equipment is lacking and where?
• Which room types are too abundant or scarce?
• Which doctors are not available often enough to provide enough patient care?

Document your suggestions in writing and remember to clearly cite any sources you might consult.

In-depth stage for the conceptual option

Skim over the article DOI 10.1016/j.ejor.2021.05.004 to make your best guess (try not to worry about unfamiliar terms this time, there may be too many) on

• what in are the "resource constraints" in our example model we studied in class, and,
• what kind of "temporal constraints" could we incorporate to replace or enhance the concept of priority in our model?