Question

Latency vs Throughput EXAMPLE : Suppose that each laundry stage (wash, dry, fold, stash) takes 30 minutes. But you have laundromat with

4 washers,
4 driers,
4 folding stations,
4 stashing stations.

What is the latency?
What is the highest possible throughput (per hour)?

Answer 1

In the given laundromat scenario, the latency for a single batch of laundry is 2 hours. The highest possible throughput is 4 batches per hour, as there are 4 of each type of station and they can all operate simultaneously.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concepts of latency and throughput are often used in various fields, including computer science and operations management, to describe the performance of systems. In the context of a laundromat with multiple stations, latency would refer to the time it takes for one complete cycle of laundry (wash, dry, fold, stash) for a single batch. Since each stage takes 30 minutes and there are 4 stages, the latency is 30 minutes x 4 stages = 120 minutes or 2 hours for one batch of laundry to be completely processed.

The highest possible throughput is the maximum rate at which the laundromat can process laundry batches. Assuming there are no bottlenecks and each station can simultaneously process one batch, the throughput would be the number of batches that can be completed in one hour. Given that each batch takes a total of 2 hours to complete, the throughput would be 4 batches/hour, as all 4 stations can operate at the same time.