Chapter Seven

Queuing (Waiting
line) Models
By: Getachew Gobena (Asst. Prof.)

D-1
 Outline
7.1. Queuing (Waiting Line) Model
7.2. Elements of a Waiting-Line System
 Arrival Characteristics
 Waiting-Line Characteristics
 Service Characteristics
7.3. Waiting Line (Queuing) Performance Measures
7.4. Poisson Distribution
7.5. Queuing (waiting Line) Models Application
 Single-Server Waiting Line Model
7.5. Changing Operational Characteristics

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 Learning Objectives
1. Describe the characteristics of arrivals, waiting
lines, and service systems;

2. Apply the single-channel queuing model equations

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 7.1. Queuing Model overview
 Waiting line system (or queuing
system) is defined by two
elements: the population source of
its customers and the process or
service system itself.

 Waiting lines are common

situations.

 It is useful in both manufacturing

and service areas.

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 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

Table D.1 5
7.2. Elements of Waiting-Line Systems

The elements of waiting line include:

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

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 1. Arrival Characteristics
i. Size of the population
 Unlimited (infinite) or limited (finite)
o Finite customer population: The number of potential
new customers is affected by the number of customers
already in the system.
o Infinite customer population: The number of potential new
customers is not affected by the number of customers already in
the system.
ii. Pattern of arrivals
 Scheduled or random, often a Poisson distribution
iii. Behavior of arrivals
 Wait in the queue and do not switch lines
 No balking or reneging or jockeying
Balking: The customer decides not to enter the waiting line.
Reneging: The customer enters the line but decides to exit before being served.
Jockeying: The customer enters one line and then switches to a different line in an
effort to reduce the waiting time. 8
 2. Waiting-Line Characteristics
 The waiting line system is characterized by the number
of waiting lines, the number of servers, the arrangement
of the servers, the arrival and service patterns, and the
service priority rules.
 Limited or unlimited queue length
 Queue discipline :
A frequently used priority rule is first-come, first-
served (FIFO). This priority rule selects customers
based on who has been waiting the longest in line.
Generally, customers consider first-come, first-served
to be the fairest method for determining priority.
 Other priority rules may be used in special
circumstances. 9
 3. 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

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 Queuing System Designs
A family dentist’s office

Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals facility after service

Single-channel, single-phase system

A dual window drive-through

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

Single-channel, multiphase system

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 Queuing System Designs
Most bank, post office & Airport service windows

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

Service
facility
Channel 3

Multi-channel, single-phase system

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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-channel, multiphase system

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7.3. Waiting Line (Queuing) Performance
Measures

Performance measures are used to gain useful information

about waiting line systems.
These measures include:
1. The average number of customers waiting in line and in the
system: The number of customers waiting in line can be interpreted
in several ways.
o Short waiting lines can result from relatively constant customer
arrivals (no major surges in demand) or from the
organization’s having excess capacity (many cashiers open).
o Long waiting lines can result from poor server efficiency,
inadequate system capacity, and/or significant surges in
demand.

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7.3. Waiting Line (Queuing) Performance
Measures Cont’d

2. The average time customers spend in waiting, and the

average time a customer spends in the system:
o Customers often link long waits to poor-quality
service. When long waiting times occur, one option
may be to change the demand pattern. That is, the
company can offer discounts or better service at less
busy times of the day or week.
o For example, a restaurant offers early-bird diners a
discount so that demand is more level.
o The discount moves some demand from prime-time
dining hours to the less desired dining hours.

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 7.3. Waiting Line (Queuing) Performance
Measures Cont’d

3. The system utilization rate: Measuring capacity utilization

shows the percentage of time the servers are busy.

 Management’s goal is to have enough servers to assure that

waiting is within allowable limits but not so many servers as
to be cost inefficient.

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 7.3. Waiting Line (Queuing) Performance
Measures Cont’d
 We calculate the following measures for the
waiting line model: - the single-server model.
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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 7.4. Poisson Distribution
 The Poisson distribution is a discrete probability distribution
for the counts of events that occur randomly in a given interval
of time (or space).

 Customer arrivals are described by a Poisson distribution

with a mean arrival rate of  (lambda).

e-x
P(x) = x! for x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …
where P(x) = probability of x arrivals
x = number of arrivals per unit of time
 = average arrival rate
e = 2.7183 (which is the mathematical
constant) 18
 7.5. Queuing Models Application
Model Name Example
A Single-channel Information counter
system at department store
(M/M/1)

Number Number Arrival Service

of of Rate Time Population Queue
Channels Phases Pattern Pattern Size Discipline
Single Single Poisson Exponential Unlimited FIFO

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Model A: Single-Channel/Server Model

1. Arrivals are served on a FIFO basis and

every arrival waits to be served
2. Arrivals are independent of preceding
arrivals
3. Arrivals are random and come from an
infinite population
4. Service times are variable
5. The service rate is faster than the arrival rate

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Single- Server Model

Table D.3

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 Single-Server Model
P0 = Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the
service unit is idle)

= 1–
µ

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Single- Server Model Cont’d

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Single- Server Model Cont’d

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 Practice Problems
Problem 1:
A new shopping mall is considering setting up an information desk manned by
one employee. Based upon information obtained from similar information
desks, it is believed that people will arrive at the desk at a rate of 20 per hour.
It takes an average of 2 minutes to answer a question. It is assumed that the
arrivals follow a Poisson distribution and answer times are exponentially
distributed.
(a) Find the probability that the employee is idle.
(b) Find the proportion of the time that the employee is busy.
(c) Find the average number of people receiving and waiting to receive some
information.
(d) Find the average number of people waiting in line to get some information.
(e) Find the average time a person seeking information spends in the system.
(f) Find the expected time a person spends just waiting in line to have a
question answered (time in the queue).

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 7.6. Changing Operational
Characteristics
After calculating the operating characteristics for a waiting line
system, sometimes you need to change the system to alter its
performance.
 Let’s look at the type of changes you can make to the different
elements of the waiting line system. These include:
 Customer arrival rates: You can try to change arrival rates in a number
of ways. For example, you can provide discounts or run special promotions
during the non-peak hours to attract customers.
 Number and type of service facilities: You can either increase or
decrease the number of server facilities. For example, a grocery store can
easily change the number of cashiers open for business (up to the number
of registers available). The store increases the number of cashiers open
when lines are too long.

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 7.6. Changing Operational
Characteristics Cont’d
 Changing the number of phases: You can use a multiphase
system where servers specialize in a portion of the total service
rather than needing to know the entire service provided.
Server efficiency: You can improve server efficiency through
process improvements or dedication of additional resources. For
example, cashier accuracy and speed are improved through the
use of latest operating machines (scanners).
 Changing the priority rule: The priority rule determines
who should be served next. There are priority rules other
than first-come, first-served. If you want to change priority
rules, consider the impact on those customers who will wait
longer.

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 7.6. Changing Operational
Characteristics Cont’d

 Changing the number of lines: Changing to a single-line

model from a multiline model is most appropriate when the
company is concerned about fairness for its customers. A single
line ensures that customers do not jockey in an attempt to gain
an advantage over another customer. Multiline models easily
accommodate specialty servers (express lanes).

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