Service Operations

and
Waiting Lines

Dr. Everette S. Gardner, Jr.

Case study: Single-server model
Reference
Vogel, M. A., Queuing Theory Applied to Machine Manning,
Interfaces, Aug. 79.

Company
Becton - Dickinson, mfg. of hypodermic needles and syringes

Bottom line
Cash savings = $575K / yr.
Also increased production by 80%.

Problem
High-speed machines jammed frequently. Attendants cleared jams.
How many machines should each attendant monitor?

Model
Basic single-server:
ServerAttendant
CustomerJammed machine
Waiting Lines 2
Case study (cont.)
Solution procedure
Each machine jammed at rate of = 60/hr.

With M machines, arrival rate to each attendant is = 60M

Service rate is = 450/hr.

Utilization ratio = 60M/450

Experimenting with different values of M produced an arrival rate

that minimized costs (wages + lost production)

M = 5 was optimal, compared to M = 1 before queuing study

Waiting Lines 3
Case study: Multiple-server
model
Reference
Deutch, H. and Mabert, V. A., Queuing Theory Applied to Teller
Staffing, Interfaces, Oct., 1980.

Company
Bankers Trust Co. of New York

Bottom line
Annual cash savings of $1,000,000 in reduced wages. Cost to
develop model of $110,000.

Problem
Determine number of tellers to be on duty per hour of day to meet
goals for waiting time. Staffing decisions needed at 100 branch
banks.

Model
Straightforward application of multi-channel model in text.
Waiting Lines 4
Case study (cont.)
Analysis
Development of arrival and service distributions by hour and
day of week at each bank.

Arrival and service shown to be Poisson / Exponential.

Experimentation with number of servers in model showed that

full-time tellers were idle much of the day.

Result
Elimination of 100 full-time tellers. Increased use of part-time
tellers.

Today, the multi-channel model is a standard tool for staffing

decisions in banking.

Waiting Lines 5
Queuing model structures

Single-server model

Source Service
pop. facility

Pop. Arrival Queue Service time

can be rate capacity can usually exp.,
finite or must be be finite but
can be
infinite Poisson or infinite
anything

Waiting Lines 6
Queuing model structures (cont.)
Multiple-server model Service
facility
#1
Source
pop. Service
facility
Pop. Arrival Queue
#2
must be rate capacity
infinite must be must be
Poisson infinite
Service time
for each
Note: There is only one queue server must
regardless of nbr. of servers have same
mean and
be exp.
Waiting Lines 7
Applying the single-server
model
1. Analyze service times.
- plot actual vs. exponential distribution
- if exponential good fit, use it
- otherwise compute of times

2. Analyze arrival rates.

- plot actual vs. Poisson Distribution
- if Poisson good fit, use it
- if not, stoponly alternative is simulation

3. Determine queue capacity.

- infinite or finite?
- if uncertain, compare results from alternative models

Waiting Lines 8
Applying the single-server model
(cont.)
4. Determine size of source population.
- infinite or finite?
- if uncertain, compare results from alternative models

5. Choose model from SINGLEQ worksheet.

SINGLEQ.xls
Waiting Lines 9
Applying the multiple-server
model
1. Analyze service times.
- Must be exponential

2. Analyze arrival rates.

- Must be Poisson

3. Queue capacity must be infinite.

4. Source population must be infinite.

5. Apply MULTIQ worksheet.

MULTIQ.xls
Waiting Lines 10
Single-server equations
Arrival rate =
Service rate =
Mean number in queue = 2/((-))
Mean number in system = /(-)
Mean time in queue = /((-))
Mean time in system = 1/(-)
Utilization ratio = /
(Prob. server is busy)

SINGLEQ.xls
Waiting Lines 11
Utilization ratio vs. queue length

/ Queue length
5 20 .25 0.08 people
10 20 .50 0.50
15 20 .75 2.25
19 20 .95 18.05
19.5 20 .975 38.03
19.6 20 .98 48.02
19.7 20 .985 64.68
19.8 20 .99 98.01
19.9 20 .995 198.01
19.95 20 .997 398.00
19.99 20 .999 1,998.00
20 20 1.000
SINGLEQ.xls
Waiting Lines 12
Single-server queuing identities
A. Number units in system = arrival rate * mean time in system

B. Number units in queue = arrival rate * mean time in queue

C. Mean time in system = mean time in queue + mean service time

Note: Mean service time = 1/ mean service rate

If we can determine only one of the following, all other values can be
found by substitution:
Number units in system or queue
Mean time in system or queue

Waiting Lines 13
State diagram: single-server
model
A A A

# in system 0 1 2 3

S S S

# in system also called state.

To get from one state to another, an arrival (a) must

occur or a service completion (s) must occur.

In long-run, for each state:

Rate in = Rate out
Mean # A = Mean # S
Waiting Lines 14
Balance equations for each
state
State Rate in = Rate out
0 SP1 AP0

Probability in Probability in
state 1 state 0

The only way The only way

into state 0 out of state 0
is service is to have
completion from 1 an arrival

Waiting Lines 15
Balance equations for each state
(cont.)
State Rate in = Rate out
1 AP0 + SP2 = AP1 + SP1

Can arrive Two ways

state 1 by out of state 1,
arrival from 0 arrival or
or service service completion
completion from 2

2 AP1 + SP3 = AP2 + SP2

3 AP2 + SP4 = AP3 + SP3

etc.
Waiting Lines 16
Solution of balance equations

Expected number in system = nPn

Solve equations simultaneously to get each probability.

Given number in system, all other values are found by

substitution in queuing identities.

Waiting Lines 17