QUEUING THEORY

Presented By-- Anil Kumar

Avtar Singh

Queuing Theory

Queuing theory is the mathematics of waiting lines.

It is extremely useful in predicting and evaluating
system performance.

Queuing theory has been used for operations

research, manufacturing and systems analysis.
Traditional queuing theory problems refer to
customers visiting a store, analogous to requests
arriving at a device.

Applications of Queuing Theory

Telecommunications
Traffic control
Determining the sequence of computer
operations
Predicting computer performance
Health services (e.g.. control of hospital
bed
assignments)
Airport traffic, airline ticket sales
Layout of manufacturing systems.

Queuing System

Model processes in which customers arrive.

Wait their turn for service.
Are serviced and then leave.
input

Server

Queue

output

Characteristics of Queuing
Systems

Key elements of queuing systems

Customer:-- refers to anything that arrives

at a facility and requires service, e.g.,
people, machines, trucks, emails.

Server:-- refers to any resource that

provides the requested service, eg.
repairpersons, retrieval machines, runways
at airport.

Queuing examples
System

Customers

Server

Reception desk

People

Receptionist

Hospital

Patients

Nurses

Airport

Airplanes

Runway

Road network

Cars

Grocery
station
Computer

Shoppers
Jobs

Traffic light
Checkout
CPU, disk, CD

Components of a Queuing System

Service Process
Queue or
Waiting Line

Arrival Process

Servers

Exit

Parts of a Waiting Line

Population of
dirty cars

Arrivals
from the
general
population

Queue
(waiting line)

Service
facility
Daves
Car Wash

enter

Arrivals to the system

Arrival Characteristics
Size of the population
Behavior of arrivals
Statistical distribution
of arrivals

Exit the system

In the system

Waiting Line
Characteristics
Limited vs. unlimited
Queue discipline

exit

Exit the system

Service
Characteristics
Service design
Statistical
distribution of
service

1. Arrival Process

According to source
According to numbers
According to time

2.

Queue Structure

First-come-first-served

(FCFS)

Last-come-first-serve
Service-in-random-order
Priority service

(LCFS)
(SIRO)

3. Service system
1. A single service system.
Queue
Arrivals

Service
facility

e.g- Your family dentists office, Library counter

Departures
after service

2. Multiple, parallel server, single

queue model

Queue
Arrivals

Service
facility
Channel 1
Service
facility
Channel 2
Service
facility
Channel 3

e.g-

Booking at a service station

Departures
after service

3. Multiple, parallel facilities with

multiple queues Model
Queues
Arrivals

Service station

Customers
leave

e.g.- Different cash counters in electricity office

4. Service facilities in a series

Service station 1

Service station 2

Arrivals
Phase 1
Queues

Phase 2
Queues

e.g.- Cutting, turning, knurling, drilling, grinding,

packaging operation of steel

Customers
leave

Queuing Models
2.

Deterministic queuing model

Probabilistic queuing model

1.

Deterministic queuing model :--

1.

= Mean number of arrivals per time

period
= Mean number of units served per
time period

Assumptions
1.

If > , then waiting line shall be formed and

increased indefinitely and service system would fail

ultimately

2. If , there shall be no waiting line

2.Probabilistic queuing model

Probability that n customers will arrive in the
system in time interval T is

t
P n
t

n t

e
n!

Single Channel Model

=
Mean number of arrivals per time
period

=
Mean number of units served per
time period
Ls =
Average number of units
(customers)
in the system (waiting and being

served)
=
1
Ws =
Average time a unit spends in the

system (waiting time plus service time)

=

Lq
=
Average number of units waiting
in the queue
2
( = )
Wq =
Average time a unit spends
waiting in the queue

( = )
p

=
=

Utilization factor for the system

P0 =
Probability of 0 units in the
system (that is, the service unit is idle)

=
1
Pn > k

= Probability of more than k units in the

system, where n is the number of units in
the system
k+1

Single Channel Model

Example

2
3-2

1
3-2

2
( )

= 2 cars arriving/hour
= 3 cars serviced/hour

Ls
=
=
= 2 cars
in the system on average

Ws
=
=
= 1
22 hour average waiting time in
3(3 - 2) the system
Lq
=
=
1.33 cars waiting in line

Cont

=
serviced/hour

2 cars arriving/hour,

( )

2
3(3 - 2)

= 3 cars

Wq

=
=
= 40 minute
average waiting time

p
= / = 2/3 =
of time
mechanic
P0 = 1 - 66.6%
= .33
probability
is busy
there are 0 cars in the system

Suggestions for Managing Queues

1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

Determine an acceptable waiting time for

your customers
Try to divert your customers attention when
waiting
Inform your customers of what to expect
Keep employees not serving the customers
out of sight
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

Where the Time Goes

In a life time, the average
person will spend :
SIX MONTHS

Waiting at stoplights

EIGHT MONTHS

Opening junk mail

ONE YEAR

Looking for misplaced 0bjects

TWO YEARS

Reading E-mail

FOUR YEARS

Doing housework

FIVE YEARS

Waiting in line

SIX YEARS

Eating

ANY QUESTIONS
PLEASE ??