Simulation modelling and analysis of a satellite campus's registration model

Abstract

The registration model is a very important part of any tertiary education institution's value chain, as this is the first contact that many students have with the institution. Therefore it is of extreme importance that this process runs efficiently and is well organised, as a poorly run registration model can damage the image of the institution. This study is part of a strategic planning initiative by the School of Modelling Sciences. Due to the fact that BSc students are high up on the subsidy scale, recruitment personnel are going to focus on recruiting BSc students, with a goal of having 100 first year BSc students. Currently the first year BSc students are registered in 5 hours. Given the expected increase, management wants to know how many resources should be added to the various sub-processes in the registration model to keep registering the first year BSc students in 5 hours, with more than 85% of students realizing a turnaround time of less than 120 minutes. This will be accomplished through building a representative simulation model on which the various number of students will be tested to see what their influence will be on the time needed to complete the first year BSc registration. If this time is above 5 hours, resources will be added until the registration is completed in 5 hours and more than 85% of students realize a turnaround time of less than 120 minutes. With cost being a factor in deciding on a solution, estimated costs will be provided for each solution in order to aid decision making.