Using queuing theory to predict organizational metrics

Most existing organizational design processes focus on either the qualitative or domain-independent features of candidate designs. This paper demonstrates the significance of domain-specific features through an examination of an organizationally-driven information retrieval network. The behavior of a distributed search process and the consequences of hierarchical control are described. A model capable of predicting these characteristics is created in the ODML framework using techniques from queuing theory. This model can be used to guide the search for an appropriate design.