Waiting-Line Models

MODULE
PowerPoint presentation to accompany
Heizer and Render
Operations Management, Eleventh Edition
Principles of Operations Management, Ninth Edition

PowerPoint slides by Jeff Heyl

© 2014
© 2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, Inc.Inc. MD - 1
 Outline
► Queuing Theory
► Characteristics of a Waiting-Line
System
► Queuing Costs
► The Variety of Queuing Models
► Other Queuing Approaches

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 Learning Objectives
When you complete this chapter you
should be able to:
1. Describe the characteristics of arrivals,
waiting lines, and service systems
2. Apply the single-server queuing model
equations
3. Conduct a cost analysis for a waiting line

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 Learning Objectives
When you complete this chapter you
should be able to:

4. Apply the multiple-server queuing

model formulas
5. Apply the constant-service-time
model equations
6. Perform a limited-population model
analysis

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 Queuing Theory
▶The study of waiting lines
▶Waiting lines are common situations
▶Useful in both
manufacturing
and service
areas

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 Common Queuing Situations
TABLE D.1 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 maintenance Broken machines Repair people fix machines
Harbor Ships and barges Dock workers load and unload

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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 7
 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
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 Parts of a 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. ► Statistical distribution of
► Statistical distribution of unlimited service
arrivals ► Queue discipline
Figure D.1
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 Arrival Characteristics
1. Size of the arrival population
▶Unlimited (infinite) or limited (finite)
2. Pattern of arrivals
▶Scheduled or random, often a Poisson
distribution
3. Behavior of arrivals
▶Wait in the queue and do not switch lines
▶No balking or reneging

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 Poisson Distribution

e-llx
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
l = average arrival rate
e = 2.7183 (which is the base of the
natural logarithms)

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 Poisson Distribution
Figure D.2
e-llx
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 l = 2 Distribution for l = 4

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 Poisson Distribution
Willow Brook National Bank operates a drive-up teller window that
allows customers to complete bank transactions without getting out of
their cars. On weekday mornings, arrivals to the drive-up teller window
occur at random, with an arrival rate of 24 customers per hour or 0.4
customers per minute
a. What is the mean or expected number of customers that will arrive
in a five-minute period?
b. Assume that the Poisson probability distribution can be used to
describe the arrival process. Use the arrival rate in part (a) and
compute the probabilities that exactly 0, 1, 2, and 3 customers will
arrive during a five-minute period.
c. Delays are expected if more than three customers arrive during any
five-minute period. What is the probability that delays will occur?

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 Waiting-Line Characteristics
▶Limited or unlimited queue length
▶Queue discipline - first-in, first-out
(FIFO) is most common
▶Other priority rules may be used in
special circumstances

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 Service Characteristics
1. Queuing system designs
▶Single-server system, multiple-server
system
▶Single-phase system, multiphase system
2. Service time distribution
▶Constant service time
▶Random service times, usually a
negative exponential distribution

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 Queuing System Designs
A family dentist’s office

Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals facility after service

Single-server, single-phase system

A McDonald’s dual-window drive-through

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

Single-server, multiphase system

Figure D.3
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 Queuing System Designs
Most bank and post office service windows

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

Service
facility
Channel 3

Multi-server, single-phase system

Figure D.3
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 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-server, multiphase system

Figure D.3
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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 19
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 Negative Exponential
Figure D.4
Distribution
Probability that service time is greater than t = e-µt for t ≥ 1
µ = Average service rate
1.0 – e = 2.7183
Probability that service time ≥ 1

0.9 –
0.8 –
Average service rate (µ) = 3 customers per hour
Þ Average service time = 20 minutes (or 1/3 hour)
0.7 – 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)
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 Exponential Probability
Distribution
In the Willow Brook National Bank waiting line system,
assume that the service times for the drive-up teller follow
an exponential probability distribution with a service rate of
36 customers per hour, or 0.6 customers per minute. Use
the exponential probability distribution to answer the
following questions:
a. What is the probability that the service time is one
minute or less?
b. What is the probability that the service time is two
minutes or less?
c. What is the probability that the service time is more than
two minutes?
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 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

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 Queuing Costs
Cost Figure D.5

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

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 Queuing Models

The four queuing models here all assume:

1. Poisson distribution arrivals

2. FIFO discipline
3. A single-service phase

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 Queuing Models

TABLE D.2 Queuing Models Described in This Chapter

MODEL NAME EXAMPLE
A Single-server Information counter at
system (M/M/1) department store

NUMBER OF NUMBER ARRIVAL SERVICE POPULATION QUEUE

SERVERS OF RATE TIME SIZE DISCIPLINE
(CHANNELS) PHASES PATTERN PATTERN
Single Single Poisson Exponential Unlimited FIFO

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 Queuing Models

TABLE D.2 Queuing Models Described in This Chapter

MODEL NAME EXAMPLE
B Multiple-server Airline ticket counter
(M/M/S)

NUMBER OF NUMBER ARRIVAL SERVICE POPULATION QUEUE

SERVERS OF RATE TIME SIZE DISCIPLINE
(CHANNELS) PHASES PATTERN PATTERN
Multi-server Single Poisson Exponential Unlimited FIFO

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 Queuing Models

TABLE D.2 Queuing Models Described in This Chapter

MODEL NAME EXAMPLE
C Constant-service Automated car wash
(M/D/1)

NUMBER OF NUMBER ARRIVAL SERVICE POPULATION QUEUE

SERVERS OF RATE TIME SIZE DISCIPLINE
(CHANNELS) PHASES PATTERN PATTERN
Single Single Poisson Constant Unlimited FIFO

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 Queuing Models

TABLE D.2 Queuing Models Described in This Chapter

MODEL NAME EXAMPLE
D Limited population Shop with only a dozen
(finite population) machines that might break

NUMBER OF NUMBER ARRIVAL SERVICE POPULATION QUEUE

SERVERS OF RATE TIME SIZE DISCIPLINE
(CHANNELS) PHASES PATTERN PATTERN
Single Single Poisson Exponential Limited FIFO

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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 31
 Model A – Single-Server
1. Arrivals are served on a FIFO basis and
every arrival waits to be served regardless
of the length of the queue
2. Arrivals are independent of preceding
arrivals but the average number of arrivals
does not change over time
3. Arrivals are described by a Poisson
probability distribution and come from an
infinite population

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 Model A – Single-Server
4. Service times vary from one customer to
the next and are independent of one
another, but their average rate is known
5. Service times occur according to the
negative exponential distribution
6. The service rate is faster than the arrival
rate

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 Model A – Single-Server
Queuing Formulas for Model A: Single-Server System,
TABLE D.3
also Called M/M/1
λ = mean number of arrivals per time period
μ = mean number of people or items served per time period (average
service rate)
Ls = average number of units (customers) in the system (waiting and
being served)
λ
=
μ–λ
Ws = average time a unit spends in the system (waiting time plus
service time)
1
=
μ–λ

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 Model A – Single-Server
Queuing Formulas for Model A: Single-Server System,
TABLE D.3
also Called M/M/1
Lq = mean number of units waiting in the queue
λ2
=
μ(μ – λ)
Wq = average time a unit spends waiting in the queue
λ Lq
= =
μ(μ – λ) λ
ρ = utilization factor for the system / The probability an arriving unit
has to wait for service:
λ
=
μ

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 Model A – Single-Server
Queuing Formulas for Model A: Single-Server System,
TABLE D.3
also Called M/M/1
P0 = Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the service unit is
idle)
λ
=1–
μ
Pn>k = probability of more than k units in the system, where n is the
number of units in the system
k+1

= [ ] λ
μ

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 Single-Server Example
l = 2 cars arriving/hour µ = 3 cars serviced/hour

l 2
Ls = = = 2 cars in the system on average
m -l 3-2

1 1
Ws = = = 1 hour average waiting time in the system
m -l 3-2

l2 22
Lq = = = 1.33 cars waiting in line
m (m - l ) 3(3 - 2)
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 Single-Server Example
l = 2 cars arriving/hour µ = 3 cars serviced/hour

l 2
Wq = = = 2/3 hour = 40 minute
µ(µ – l) 3(3 – 2)
average waiting time
l 2
r = = = 66.6% of time mechanic is busy
µ 3
l
P0 = 1 – = .33 probability there are 0 cars in the
µ
system

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 Single-Server Example
Probability of more than k Cars in the System

K Pn > k = (2/3)k + 1
0 .667 ¬ Note that this is equal to 1 – P0 = 1 – .33
1 .444
2 .296
3 .198 ¬ Implies that there is a 19.8% chance that more
than 3 cars are in the system
4 .132
5 .088
6 .058
7 .039

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 Strategy whether Single Channel or
Multi Channel
▶

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 Problem 5
The reference desk of a university library receives requests for
assistance. Assume that a Poisson probability distribution with an
arrival rate of 10 requests per hour can be used to describe the arrival
pattern and that service times follow an exponential probability
distribution with a service rate of 12 requests per hour.
a. What is the probability that no requests for assistance are in the
system?
b. What is the average number of requests that will be waiting for
service?
c. What is the average waiting time in minutes before service begins?
d. What is the average time at the reference desk in minutes (waiting
time plus service time)?
e. What is the probability that a new arrival has to wait for service?

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 Problem 6
Movies Tonight is a typical video and DVD movie rental outlet for home-
viewing customers. During the weeknight evenings, customers arrive at
Movies Tonight with an arrival rate of 1.25 customers per minute. The
checkout clerk has a service rate of 2 customers per minute. Assume
Poisson arrivals and exponential service times.
a. What is the probability that no customers are in the system?
b. What is the average number of customers waiting for service?
c. What is the average time a customer waits for service to begin?
d. What is the probability that an arriving customer will have to wait for
service?
e. Do the operating characteristics indicate that the one-clerk checkout
system provides an acceptable level of service?

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 Problem 7
Speedy Oil provides a single-server automobile oil change
and lubrication service. Customers provide an arrival rate
of 2.5 cars per hour. The service rate is 5 cars per hour.
Assume that arrivals follow a Poisson probability
distribution and that service times follow an exponential
probability distribution.
a. What is the average number of cars in the system?
b. What is the average time that a car waits for the oil and
lubrication service to begin?
c. What is the average time a car spends in the system?
d. What is the probability that an arrival has to wait for
service?
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 Problem 9
Marty’s Barber Shop has one barber. Customers have an arrival rate of
2.2 customers per hour, and haircuts are given with a service rate of 5
per hour. Use the Poisson arrivals and exponential service times model
to answer the following questions:
a. What is the probability that no units are in the system?
b. What is the probability that one customer is receiving a haircut and
no one is waiting?
c. What is the probability that one customer is receiving a haircut and
one customer is waiting?
d. What is the probability that one customer is receiving a haircut and
two customers are waiting?
e. What is the probability that more than two customers are waiting?
f. What is the average time a customer waits for service?

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 Problem 14
Ocala Software Systems operates a technical support center for its software
customers. If customers have installation or use problems with Ocala software
products, they may telephone the technical support center and obtain free
consultation. Currently, Ocala operates its support center with one consultant. If
the consultant is busy when a new customer call arrives, the customer hears a
recorded message stating that all consultants are currently busy with other
customers. The customer is then asked to hold and is told that a consultant will
provide assistance as soon as possible. The customer calls follow a Poisson
probability distribution, with an arrival rate of five calls per hour. On average, it
takes 7.5 minutes for a consultant to answer a customer’s questions. The
service time follows an exponential probability distribution.
What is the probability that a customer will have to wait for a consultant?
Ocala’s customer service department recently received several letters from
customers complaining about the difficulty in obtaining technical support. If
Ocala’s customer service guidelines state that no more than 35% of all
customers should have to wait for technical support and that the average
waiting time should be two minutes or less, does your waiting line analysis
indicate that Ocala is or is not meeting its customer service guidelines? What
action,
© if any,
2014 Pearson wouldInc.you recommend?
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 Problem 14

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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 47
 Multiple-Server Model
Queuing Formulas for Model B: Multiple-Server System,
TABLE D.4
also Called M/M/S
M = number of servers (channels) open
l = average arrival rate
µ = average service rate at each server (channel)
The probability that there are zero people or units in the system is:

1
P0 = for M m > l
é M -1 æ ön ù ælö
M
êå ç ÷ ú +
1 l 1 Mm
ç ÷
êë n=0 n! è m ø úû M ! è m ø M m - l

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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 49
 Multiple-Server Model
Queuing Formulas for Model B: Multiple-Server System,
TABLE D.4
also Called M/M/S
The number of people or units in the system is:

lm ( l / m )
M
l
LS = P0 +
( M -1)!( M m - l ) m
2

The average time a unit spends in the waiting line and being serviced
(namely, in the system) is:

m (l / m)
M
1 LS
WS = P0 + =
( )( ) m l
2
M -1 ! M m - l

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 Multiple-Server Model
Queuing Formulas for Model B: Multiple-Server System,
TABLE D.4
also Called M/M/S
The average number of people or units in line waiting for service is:

l
Lq = LS -
m
The average time a person or unit spends in the queue waiting for service
is:
1 Lq
Wq = WS - =
m l

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© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. MD - 52
 Problem 18
All airplane passengers at the Lake City Regional Airport must pass through a
security screening area before proceeding to the boarding area. The airport has
three screening stations available, and the facility manager must decide how
many to have open at any particular time. The service rate for processing
passengers at each screening station is 3 passengers per minute. On Monday
morning the arrival rate is 5.4 passengers per minute. Assume that processing
times at each screening station follow an exponential distribution and that
arrivals follow a Poisson distribution.
a. Suppose two of the three screening stations are open on Monday morning.
Compute the operating characteristics for the screening facility.
b. Because of space considerations, the facility manager’s goal is to limit the
average number of passengers waiting in line to 10 or fewer. Will the two-
screening-station system be able to meet the manager’s goal?
c. What is the average time required for a passenger to pass through security
screening?

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 Problem 18

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 Problem 19
Refer again to the Lake City Regional Airport described in
Problem 18. When the security level is raised to high, the
service rate for processing passengers is reduced to 2
passengers per minute at each screening station. Suppose
the security level is raised to high on Monday morning. The
arrival rate is 5.4 passengers per minute.
a. The facility manager’s goal is to limit the average
number of passengers waiting in line to 10 or fewer.
How many screening stations must be open in order to
satisfy the manager’s goal?
b. What is the average time required for a passenger to
pass through security screening?

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 Problem 19

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 Problem 19

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 Problem 20
A Florida coastal community experiences a population increase during
the winter months, with seasonal residents arriving from northern states
and Canada. Staffing at a local post office is often in a state of change
due to the relatively low volume of customers in the summer months
and the relatively high volume of customers in the winter months. The
service rate of a postal clerk is 0.75 customers per minute. The post
office counter has a maximum of three workstations. The target
maximum time a customer waits in the system is five minutes.
a. For a particular Monday morning in November, the anticipated
arrival rate is 1.2 customers per minute. What is the recommended
staffing for this Monday morning? Show the operating characteristics
of the waiting line.
b. A new population growth study suggests that over the next two
years the arrival rate at the postal office during the busy winter
months can be expected to be 2.1 customers per minute. Use a
waiting line analysis to make a recommendation to the post office
manager.
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 Problem 20

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 Problem 20

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 Multiple-Server Example
l = 2 µ = 3 M = 2

1
P0 =
é 1 æ ön ù æ ö
2
êå 1 ç 2 ÷ ú + 1 ç 2 ÷ 2(3)
êë n=0 n! è 3 ø úû 2! è 3 ø 2(3) - 2
1 1 1
= = =
2 1 æ 4 öæ 6 ö 2 1 2
1+ + ç ÷ç ÷ 1+ +
3 2 è 9 øè 6 - 2 ø 3 3
= .5 probability of zero cars in the system

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 Multiple-Server Example
( )
2
(2)(3) 2 / 3 æ 1ö 2 8 / 3 æ 1ö 2 3
LS = 2ç ÷
+ = ç ÷+ =
(1)!(2(3) - 2) è 2 ø 3 16 è 2 ø 3 4

= .75 average number of cars in the system

LS 3 / 4 3
WS = = = hour
l 2 8
= 22.5 minutes average time a car spends in the system
l 3 2 9 8 1
Lq = LS - = - = - =
m 4 3 12 12 12
= .083 average numner of cars in the queue (waiting)
L q .083
Wq = = = .0415 hour
l 2
= 2.5 minutes average time a car spends in the queue (waiting)
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 Multiple-Server Example

SINGLE SERVER TWO SERVERS (CHANNELS)

P0 .33 .5
Ls 2 cars .75 cars
Ws 60 minutes 22.5 minutes
Lq 1.33 cars .083 cars
Wq 40 minutes 2.5 minutes

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 Waiting Line Tables
TABLE D.5 Values of Lq for M = 1-5 Servers (channels) and Selected Values of λ/μ
POISSON ARRIVALS, EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES
NUMBER OF SERVICE CHANNELS, M
λ/μ 1 2 3 4 5
.10 .0111
.25 .0833 .0039
.50 .5000 .0333 .0030
.75 2.2500 .1227 .0147
.90 8.1000 .2285 .0300 .0041
1.0 .3333 .0454 .0067
1.6 2.8444 .3128 .0604 .0121
2.0 .8888 .1739 .0398
2.6 4.9322 .6581 .1609
3.0 1.5282 .3541
4.0 2.2164

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 Waiting-Line Table Example
Bank tellers and customers
l = 18, µ = 20 Lq
Ratio l/µ = .90 Wq = l

From Table D.5

NUMBER OF NUMBER IN
SERVERS M QUEUE TIME IN QUEUE
1 window 1 8.1 .45 hrs, 27 minutes
2 windows 2 .2285 .0127 hrs, ¾ minute
3 windows 3 .03 .0017 hrs, 6 seconds
4 windows 4 .0041 .0003 hrs, 1 second

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 Total Cost

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 Problem 21
Agan’s management would like to evaluate two alternatives
with an arrival rate of 2.5 customer per hour.
● Use one consultant with an average service time of 8
minutes per customer.
● Expand to two consultants, each of whom has an
average service time of 10 minutes per customer.
If the consultants are paid $16 per hour and the customer
waiting time is valued at $25 per hour for waiting time prior
to service, should Agan expand to the two-consultant
system? Explain.

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 Problem 21

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 Problem 22
A fast-food franchise is considering operating a drive-up window food-service
operation. Assume that customer arrivals follow a Poisson probability
distribution, with an arrival rate of 24 cars per hour, and that service times
follow an exponential probability distribution. Arriving customers place orders at
an intercom station at the back of the parking lot and then drive to the service
window to pay for and receive their orders. The following three service
alternatives are being considered:
● A single-server operation in which one employee fills the order and takes the
money from the customer. The average service time for this alternative is 2
minutes.
● A single-server operation in which one employee fills the order while a
second employee takes the money from the customer. The average service
time for this alternative is 1.25 minutes.
● A two-server operation with two service windows and two employees. The
employee stationed at each window fills the order and takes the money for
customers arriving at the window. The average service time for this alternative
is 2 minutes for each server.
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 Problem 22
Answer the following questions and recommend one of the
design options.
a. What is the probability that no cars are in the system?
b. What is the average number of cars waiting for service?
c. What is the average number of cars in the system?
d. What is the average time a car waits for service?
e. What is the average time in the system?
f. What is the probability that an arriving car will have to
wait for service?

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 Problem 22

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 Problem 23
The following cost information is available for the
fast-food franchise in Problem 22:
● Customer waiting time is valued at $25 per hour
to reflect the fact that waiting time is costly to the
fast-food business.
● The cost of each employee is $6.50 per hour.
● To account for equipment and space, an
additional cost of $20 per hour is attributable to
each server. What is the lowest-cost design for the
fast-food business?

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 Problem 23

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