Waiting Line Analysis

Topics

 Waiting Line Characteristics

 Suggestions for Managing Queues
 Examples (Models 1, 2, 3, and 4)
 Waiting lines

 Often called queuing theory

 Waiting lines are common situations
 Useful in both
manufacturing
and service
areas
 Components of the Queuing System

Servicing System
Servers
Queue or
Customer Waiting Line
Arrivals Exit
 A typical waiting line
Population of Arrivals Queue Service Exit the system
dirty cars from the (waiting line) facility
general
population …
Dave’s
Car Wash

Enter Exit

Arrivals to the system In the system Exit the system

Arrival Characteristics Waiting Line Service Characteristics

 Size of the population Characteristics  Service design
 Behavior of arrivals  Limited vs. unlimited  Statistical distribution of
 Statistical distribution of  Queue discipline service
arrivals
 Common Queuing Situations

Situation Arrivals in Queue Service Process

Supermarket Grocery shoppers Checkout clerks at cash
register
Highway toll booth Automobiles Collection of tolls at booth
Doctor’s office Patients Treatment by doctors and
nurses
Computer system Programs to be run Computer processes jobs
Telephone company Callers Switching equipment to
forward calls
Bank Customer Transactions handled by teller
Machine Broken machines Repair people fix machines
maintenance
Harbor Ships and barges Dock workers load and unload
Characteristics of Waiting-Line Systems

1. Arrivals or inputs to the system

 Population size, behavior, statistical distribution

2. Queue discipline, or the waiting line itself

 Limited or unlimited in length, discipline of people or items in it

3. The service facility

 Design, statistical distribution of service times
 Arrival Characteristics
1. Size of the population
 Unlimited (infinite) or limited (finite)
2. Pattern of arrivals
 Scheduled or random, often a Poisson distribution
 Controllable/ uncontrollable
3. Size of arrival units
 Single/ batch arrivals
4. Behavior of arrivals/ degree of patience
 Patient: Wait in the queue and do not switch lines
 Impatient: Balking or reneging
Degree of Patience

No Way! No Way!

BALK RENEG
Customer Service Population Sources

Population Source

Finite Infinite
Example: Number Example: The
of machines number of people
needing repair who could wait in
when a company a line for
only has three gasoline.
machines.
 The Queuing System

Length
Infinite/ Finite

Queuing
Number of Lines &
Queue Discipline System
Line Structures

Service Time
Distribution
Poisson Distribution

e-x
P(x) = for x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …
x!
where P(x) = probability of x arrivals
x = number of arrivals per unit of time
 = average arrival rate
e = 2.7183 (which is the base of the natural logarithms)
Poisson Distribution
e-x
Probability = P(x) =
x!

0.25 – 0.25 –

0.02 – 0.02 –
Probability

Probability
0.15 – 0.15 –

0.10 – 0.10 –

0.05 – 0.05 –

– –
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 x
Distribution for  = 2 Distribution for  = 4
Waiting-Line Characteristics

 Limited or unlimited queue length

 Queue discipline –
 first-in first-out (FIFO)/ FCFS is most common
 Other priority rules
 SPT
 Reservations first
 Emergencies first
 Highest-profit/ best customer first
Service Characteristics
 Queuing system designs
 Single-channel system, multiple-channel system
 Single-phase system, multiphase system
 Service time distribution
 Constant service time
 Random service times, usually a negative
exponential distribution
Examples of Line Structures

Single
Multiphase
Phase

One-person
Single Channel Car wash
barber shop

Bank tellers’ Hospital

Multichannel admissions
windows
Service Pattern

Service
Pattern

Constant Variable
Example: Items Example: People
coming down an spending time
automated shopping.
assembly line.
 Queuing System Designs
A family dentist’s office

Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals facility after service

Single-channel, single-phase system

A McDonald’s dual window drive-through

Queue
Phase 1 Phase 2 Departures
Arrivals service service
after service
facility facility

Single-channel, multiphase system

 Queuing System Designs
Most bank and post office service windows

Service
facility
Channel 1
Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals facility
Channel 2
after service

Service
facility
Channel 3

Multi-channel, single-phase system

 Queuing System Designs
Some college registrations

Phase 1 Phase 2
service service
Queue facility facility
Channel 1 Channel 1
Departures
Arrivals after service
Phase 1 Phase 2
service service
facility facility
Channel 2 Channel 2

Multi-channel, multiphase system

Negative Exponential Distribution
Probability that service time is greater than t = e-µt for t ≥ 1
µ = Average service rate
1.0 – e = 2.7183
0.9 –
0.8 – Average service rate (µ) = 3 customers per hour
Probability that service time ≥ 1

0.7 –  Average service time = 20 minutes per customer

0.6 –
0.5 –
0.4 –
Average service rate (µ) =
0.3 – 1 customer per hour
0.2 –
0.1 –
0.0 |– | | | | | | | | | | | |
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00
Time t (hours)
Measuring Queue Performance
1. Average time that each customer or object spends in the queue
2. Average queue length
3. Average time each customer spends in the system
4. Average number of customers in the system
5. Probability that the service facility will be idle
6. Utilization factor for the system
7. Probability of a specific number of customers in the system
Queuing Costs
Cost

Minimum
Total Total expected cost
cost
Cost of providing service

Cost of waiting time

Low level Optimal High level

of service service level of service
Suggestions for Managing Queues

1. Determine an acceptable waiting time for your

customers
2. Try to divert your customer’s attention when waiting
3. Inform your customers of what to expect
4. Keep employees not serving the customers out of
sight
5. Segment customers
Suggestions for Managing Queues
(Continued)

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
Waiting Line Models

Source
Model Layout 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
Notation: Infinite Queuing: Models 1-3
 = Arrival rate
 = Service rate
1
 Average service time

1
 Average time between arrivals


 = = Ratio of total arrival rate to sevice rate

for a single server
Lq  Average number wai ting in line
Infinite Queuing Models 1-3 (Continued)

Ls = Average number in system

(including those being served)
Wq = Average time waiting in line
Ws  Average total time in system
(including time to be served)
n  Number of units in the system
S = Number of identical service channels
Pn  Probabilit y of exactly n units in system
Pw  Probabilit y of waiting in line
Example: Model 1
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

A) What is the average utilization of the

employee?

 = 25 cust / hr
1 customer
 = = 30 cust / hr
2 mins (1hr / 60 mins)

 25 cust / hr
 = = = .8333
 30 cust / hr
 Example: Model 1

B) What is the average number of customers in

line?
 2
(25) 2
Lq = = = 4.167
 ( -  ) 30(30 - 25)
C) What is the average number of customers in the
system?
 25
Ls = = =5
 -  (30 - 25)
Example: Model 1

D) What is the average waiting time in line?

Lq
Wq = = .1667 hrs = 10 mins

E) What is the average waiting time in the system?

Ls
Ws = = .2 hrs = 12 mins

Example: Model 1

F) What is the probability that exactly two cars

will be in the system (one being served and the
other waiting in line)?

  n
pn = (1 - )( )
 

25 25 2
p 2 = (1 - )( ) = .1157
30 30
 Example: Model 2
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.
Example: Model 2

A) The average number of customers in line.

2 (10) 2
Lq = = = .6667
2 (  -  ) (2)(15)(15 - 10)
B) The average total waiting time in the system.
Lq .6667
Wq = = = .06667 hrs = 4 mins
 10

1 1
Ws = Wq + = .06667 hrs + = .1333 hrs = 8 mins
 15/hr
 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?
Example: Model 3
Average number of cars in the system

Lq = 0.176
(Exhibit TN7.11 - -using linear interpolat ion)

 25
Ls = Lq + = .176 + = 1.009
 30
Total time customers wait before being served
Lq .176 customers
Wq = = = .007 mins ( No Wait! )
 25 customers/ min
Notation: Finite Queuing: Model 4

D = Probabilit y that an arrival must wait in line

F  Efficiency factor, a measure of the effect of
having to wait in line
H  Average number of units being served
J = Population source less those in queuing
system ( N - n)
L  Average number of units in line
S  Number of service channels
Finite Queuing: Model 4 (Continued)

n = Average number of units in queuing system

(including the one being served)
N  Number of units in population source
Pn  Probabilit y of exactly n units in queuing system
T = Average time to perform the service
U  Average time between customer service requirements
W  Average waiting time in line
X  Service factor, or proportion of service time required
Example: Model 4

The copy center of an electronics firm has four copy

machines that are all serviced by a single technician.

Every two hours, on average, the machines require

adjustment. The technician spends an average of 10
minutes per machine when adjustment is required.

Assuming Poisson arrivals and exponential service,

how many machines are “down” (on average)?
Example: Model 4
N, the number of machines in the population = 4
M, the number of repair people = 1
T, the time required to service a machine = 10 minutes
U, the average time between service = 2 hours

T 10 m in
X =  = .077
T+ U 10 m in + 120 m in

From Table TN7.11, F = .980 (Interpolation)

L, the number of machines waiting to be

serviced = N(1-F) = 4(1-.980) = .08 machines

H, the number of machines being

serviced = FNX = .980(4)(.077) = .302 machines

Number of machines down = L + H = .382 machines

Question Bowl
The central problem for virtually all queuing problems
is which of the following?
a. Balancing labor costs and equipment costs
b. Balancing costs of providing service with the costs
of waiting
c. Minimizing all service costs in the use of
equipment
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: b. Balancing
costs of providing
service with the costs
of waiting
Question Bowl
Customer Arrival “populations” in a queuing system
can be characterized by which of the following?
a. Poisson
b. Finite
c. Patient
d. FCFS
e. None of the above

Answer: b. Finite
Question Bowl
Customer Arrival “rates” in a queuing system can be
characterized by which of the following?
a. Constant
b. Infinite
c. Finite
d. All of the above
e. None of the above

Answer: a. Constant
Question Bowl
An example of a “queue discipline” in a queuing
system is which of the following?
a. Single channel, multiphase
b. Single channel, single phase
c. Multichannel, single phase
d. Multichannel, multiphase
e. None of the above

Answer: e. None of the above (These are the rules for determining the order of
service to customers, which include FCFS, reservation first, highest-profit
customer first, etc.)
Question Bowl
Withdrawing funds from an automated teller machine is an
example in a queuing system of which of the following
“line structures”?
a. Single channel, multiphase
b. Single channel, single phase
c. Multichannel, single phase
d. Multichannel, multiphase
e. None of the above

Answer: b. Single channel, single phase

Question Bowl
Refer to Model 1 in the textbook. If the service rate is
15 per hour, what is the “average service time” for
this queuing situation?
a. 16.00 minutes
b. 0.6667 hours
c. 0.0667 hours
d. 16% of an hour
e. Can not be computed from data above

Answer: c. 0.0667 hours (1/15=0.0667)

Question Bowl
Refer to Model 1 in the textbook. If the arrival rate is 15
per hour, what is the “average time between
arrivals” for this queuing situation?
a. 16.00 minutes
b. 0.6667 hours
c. 0.0667 hours
d. 16% of an hour
e. Can not be computed from data above

Answer: c. 0.0667 hours (1/15=0.0667)

 Question Bowl
Refer to Model 4 in the textbook. If the “average time to
perform a service” is 10 minutes and the “average time
between customer service requirements” is 2 minutes,
which of the following is the “service factor” for this
queuing situation?
a. 0.833
b. 0.800
c. 0.750
d. 0.500
e. None of the above

Answer: a. 0.833 (10/(10+2)=0.833)