Application of Discrete Event Simulation for Enhancing Queuing System at Lotus Alor Setar

Queue management is a critical challenge for hypermarkets, where prolonged wait times can negatively impact customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. The congested checkout areas at Lotus Alor Setar are caused by a high number of customers and insufficient cashiers, resulting in slower transaction times for scanning, payments, and assistance. Such queuing problems cause delay to the overall service, thus reducing customer satisfaction. In response to the issue, this study aimed to enhance the queueing system at Lotus Alor Setar through a simulation model and to propose the most efficient hypermarket queueing system. Discrete Event Simulation was used to replicate the existing systems, followed by the testing of three scenarios to determine their respective performance in addressing the issue. The significance of this study lies in identifying ways to efficiently allocate resources, such as personnel and checkout stations, to promote cost savings and higher service quality. These findings offer useful insights not only for improving the queuing system at Lotus Alor Setar but also for guiding other hypermarkets alike.