1

Components of the Queuing System

Customer
Arrivals
Servers
Waiting Line
Servicing System
Exit
Queue or
Chap 8A. Waiting Line Management
2
Customer Service Population Sources
Population Source
Finite Infinite
Example: Number
of machines
needing repair
when a company
only has three
machines.
Example: The
number of people
who could wait in
a line for
gasoline.
3
Service Pattern
Service
Times
Constant Variable
Example: Items
coming down an
automated
assembly line.
Example: People
spending time
shopping.
4
The Queuing System
Queue Discipline
Length
Number of Lines &
Line Structures
Service Time
Distribution
Queuing
System
5
Examples of Line Structures
Single Channel
Multichannel
Single
Phase
Multiphase
One-person
barber shop
Car wash
Hospital
admissions
Bank tellers
windows
6
Degree of Patience
No Way!
BALK
No Way!
RENEG
7
Suggestions for Managing Queues
1. Determine an acceptable waiting time for your customers
2. Try to divert your customers attention when waiting
3. Inform your customers of what to expect
4. Keep employees not serving the customers out of sight
5. Segment customers
6. Train your servers to be friendly
7. Encourage customers to come during the slack periods
8. Take a long-term perspective toward getting rid of the queues

8
Waiting Line Models
Model Layout
Source
Population Service Pattern
1 Single channel Infinite Exponential
2 Single channel Infinite Constant
3 Multichannel Infinite Exponential
4 Single or Multi Finite Exponential
These four models share the following characteristics:
Single phase
Poisson arrival
FCFS
Unlimited queue length
9
Notation: Infinite Queuing: Models 1-3
line in ting number wai Average
server single a for
rate sevice to rate arrival total of Ratio = =
arrivals between time Average
time service Average
rate Service =
rate Arrival =
1
1

Lq

10
Infinite Queuing Models 1-3 (Continued)
line in waiting of y Probabilit
system in units exactly of y Probabilit
channels service identical of Number =
system in the units of Number
served) be to time (including
system in time total Average
line in waiting time Average =
served) being those (including
system in number Average = s

Pw
n Pn
S
n
Ws
Wq
L
11
Assume a drive-up window at a fast food restaurant.
Customers arrive at the rate of 25 per hour.
The employee can serve one customer every two minutes.
Assume Poisson arrival and exponential service rates.
Determine:
A) What is the average utilization of the employee?
B) What is the average number of customers in line?
C) What is the average number of customers in the system?
D) What is the average waiting time in line?
E) What is the average waiting time in the system?
F) What is the probability that exactly two cars will be
in the system?
Example: Model 1
12

= 25 cust / hr
=
1 customer
2 mins (1hr / 60 mins)
= 30 cust / hr
= =
25 cust / hr
30 cust / hr
= .8333
Example: Model 1
4.167 =
25) - 30(30
(25)
=
) - (
=
2 2


Lq
A) What is the average utilization of the employee?

B) What is the average number of customers in line?
C) What is the average number of customers in the system?
5 =
25) - (30
25
=
-
=

Ls
13
Example: Model 1
p = (1 -
n
n

)( )
D) What is the average waiting time in line?
mins 10 = hrs .1667 =

=

Lq
Wq
E) What is the average waiting time in the system?
mins 12 = hrs .2 = =

Ls
Ws
F) What is the probability that exactly two cars will be in the system (one
being served and the other waiting in line)?
p = (1- =
2
2 25
30
25
30
)( ) .1157
14
Example: Model 2
.6667 =
10) - (2)(15)(15
(10)
=
) - ( 2
=
2 2


Lq
mins 4 = hrs .06667 =
10
6667 .
=

=

Lq
Wq
An automated pizza vending machine heats and dispenses a slice of
pizza in 4 minutes. Customers arrive at a rate of one every 6 minutes
with the arrival rate exhibiting a Poisson distribution.
Determine:
A) The average number of customers in line.
B) The average total waiting time in the system.

A) The average number of customers in line.
B) The average total waiting time in the system.
mins 8 = hrs .1333 =
15/hr
1
+ hrs .06667 =

1
+ =

Wq Ws
15
Example: Model 3
Recall the Model 1 example:
Drive-up window at a fast food restaurant.
Customers arrive at the rate of 25 per hour.
The employee can serve one customer every two minutes.
Assume Poisson arrival and exponential service rates.
If an identical window (and an identically trained server) were added, what
would the effects be on the average number of cars in the system and the
total time customers wait before being served?
ion) interpolat linear -using - TN7.11 (Exhibit
176 0 = . Lq
1.009 =
30
25
+ .176 = + =

Lq Ls
Total time customers wait before being served
) ( =
min customers/ 25
customers .176
= = Wait! No
Lq
Wq mins .007

Average number of cars in the system: