NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Industrial and Systems Practice Exam 2025 - Free FE Industrial and Systems Practice Questions and Study Guide

The mean rate of customer arrivals in a store, typically denoted as λ (lambda), refers to the average number of customers that enter the store per unit of time, which is often expressed in terms like customers per minute. In this scenario, the mean rate provided as the correct answer indicates that, on average, two customers enter the store every minute. This number can be utilized in various operations management contexts, such as calculating service capacity, understanding customer flow, and managing inventory levels.

In practical terms, understanding the mean arrival rate is crucial for store managers to ensure that staffing levels are adequate to provide efficient service, to avoid long wait times, and to optimize the shopping experience. The other options reflect different average rates of arrival that do not match the established mean of two customers per minute, making them less relevant to this specific question.