This case study aims to enhance the visitor experience at Al-Rawdah Al-Shareefa, a religious site in Madinah, KSA, by identifying and addressing bottlenecks in the current visitor flow. We analyze the current state of visitor flow and propose data-driven solutions to improve the overall visitor experience.

A mixed-methods approach was employed, including process flow analysis, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), surveys, and on-site observations. A comprehensive case study approach was utilized, involving process flow analysis.

The study identified significant bottlenecks at security checkpoints and entry points, resulting in prolonged wait times and disruptions to the overall visitor flow. Additionally, visitor surveys revealed a strong desire for safety, security, organization, cleanliness, and a peaceful atmosphere. Bottlenecks and wait times in the visitor process flow revealed potential bottlenecks at security checkpoints and entry points, resulting in variable wait times (10-50 minutes and 5-30 minutes, respectively). The variability disrupts the overall flow and can significantly exceed the desired throughput time, potentially exceeding 100 minutes. The average wait time reported by pilgrims was 61 minutes, substantially higher than the ideal of 30 minutes.

This research contributes to crowd management and religious tourism by applying practical and data-driven techniques to a specific religious site. The outcomes and approvals may be implemented on other analogous platforms to enhance visitor satisfaction and optimize resource allocation. In addition, the case research offers a unique perspective on event and crowd management for mega-events, and it is anticipated to lead to significant advancements in the design of comprehensive systems that prioritize safety and security in crowd control.

Keywords

Systems Design, QFD, Crowd Management, Waiting Time Reduction, Capacity Plan