Waiting Line Models (Queuing Theory)

Characteristics of the Queue(Waiting Line)

1. LIMITED
2. UNLIMITED
Characteristics of the Service Facility
1. THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT OF THE QUEUING SYSTEM
2. THE QUEUE DISCIPLINE
3. THE APPROPRIATE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION DESCRIBING
SERVICE TIMES.
Queuing System
A. Constant arrival and service times
1. No Queue, idle time
2. No Queue, no idle time
3. Queue forms, no idle time
B. Poisson distributed arrival and exponentially distributed service times

P(x) = xe-  P(service time ≤ t) = 1 – e-t

x!

Operating Characteristics (performance measures)

Let :   the mean number of arrivals per time period (the mean arrival rate)
  the mean number of services per time period(the mean service rate)
Single Channel :
1. The probability that no units are in the system:

Po = 1 -

2. The average number of units in the waiting line:
2
Lq =
 (-)

3. The average number of units in the system:


L = Lq + 
4. The average time a unit spends in the waiting line:
Lq
Wq =

5. The average time a units spends in the system:
1
W = Wq + 

6. The probability that an arriving unit has to wait for service:


 Pw = 
7. The probability of n units in the system:
 n
Pn =  Po
Sample Problem:
Suppose a fast food restaurant sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, soft
drinks, and shakes, as well as a limited number of specialty items and dessert selections.
The restaurant has a single server who takes a customer’s order, determines the total cost
of the order, takes the money from the customer, and then fills the order. Once the
customer’s order is filled, the server takes the order of the next customer waiting for
service. When more customers arrive than can be served immediately, they form a
waiting line and wait for the order-taking and order-filling station to become available.
The owner of the restaurant has analyzed and has concluded that the mean arrival rate is
60 customers per hour and that the mean service rate is 75 customer orders per hour. The
owner is concerned that the methods used to serve customers are resulting in excessive
waiting times and has asked that a waiting line study be performed to help determine the
best approach to reducing waiting times and improving service. Assume a model with
Poisson arrivals and Exponential service times.

Solution:
Mean arrival rate 1.00
Mean service rate 1.25
Probability of no customers in the system 0.20
Average number of customers in the waiting line 3.2
Average number of customers in the system 4
Average time in the waiting line 3.2
Average time in the system 4
Probability that an arriving customer has to wait 0.80

Assume that the arrival rate is increased to 65 customers per hour and the mean service
rate is increased to 90 customers per hour. Compute the operating characteristics for the
new system. Does this provide better or poorer service compared to the original system?
Discuss any differences and the reason for these differences.

Improving the waiting line operation

1. Increase the mean service rate  by making a creative design change or by using
new technology.
2. Add service channels so that more customers can be served simultaneously.
Multiple-Channel Waiting Line Model With Poisson Arrivals And Exponential Service
Times
Conditions: mean service rate is the same for each channel and arrivals wait in a
single line and then move to the first open channel.
Operating Characteristics:
= the mean arrival rate
 = the mean service rate
k = the number of channels
1. The probability that no units are in the system
1
Po = k-1

()n + ()k + k
n! k! k-
n=o

2. The average number of units in the waiting line

(k Po
2
Lq = (k – 1)!(k)
3. The average number of units in the system

L = Lq + 

4. The average time a unit spends in the waiting line

Wq = Lq

5. The average time a unit spends in the system

W = Wq + 1

6. The probability that an arriving unit has to wait for service

Pw = 1  k k
k!  k  
7. The probability of n units in the system

Pn =  Po for n < k

n!

Pn =  Po for n > k

(n-k)
k!k
Suppose that the owner wants to evaluate the desirability of opening a second order-
processing station so that two customers can be served simultaneously.

Solution:

Number of channels 2
Mean arrival rate 1
Mean service rate 1.25
 0.80
Probability of no customer in the system 0.4286
Average number of customers in the waiting line 0.152
Average number of customers in the system 1.952
Average time a customer spends in the waiting line 0.152
Average time a customer spends in the system 0.952
Probability that a customer has to wait for service 0.229

Economic Analysis of Waiting Lines

Total Cost Model : TC = cwL + csk

where cw = the waiting cost per time period for each unit
L = the average number of units in the system
cs = the service cost per time period for each channel
k = the number of channels
TC = the total cost per time period
Suppose that cs = P40 per hour and cw = P50 per hour.
Single-channel system ( L = 3 customers)
TC = 50(3) + 40(1) = P190
Two-channel system ( L = 0.152 customers)
TC = 50(0.152) + 40(2) = P87.60
Thus, the two-channel system provides the most economical operation.