Operations Management II ORM2B15-3

Session 09 Scheduling & Sequencing (Gantt

Charts) + Waiting Line Management

Gantt Chart for Job Shop

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Example Johnsons Rule and Transfer

Batch Size
Effect on Throughput Time
Page 731-732

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Topic: Waiting Line Management

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Waiting Line Management

More important for service

Considered as non-value added
Problem occurs due to randomness in arrival/service
Issues
Solution
Objective Minimize (Cost of waiting + Cost of capacity)
Balking/Reneging/Jockeying
Channel and Phase
In class slides Number of servers = S
In the textbook Number of servers = M
Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Psychology of Waiting Lines Maister

(1984)

Unoccupied time feels longer than occupied time

Pre-process waits feel longer than In-process waits
Anxiety makes waits seem longer
Uncertain waits are longer than known, finite waits
Unexplained waits are longer than explained waits
Unfair waits are longer than equitable waits
The more valuable the service, the longer one will wait
Solo waiting feels longer than group waiting

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Important Factors for Choosing Model

Population source
Finite/ Infinite
Line or QUEUE/ SYSTEM
Number of servers
Single/Multiple
Parallel/Series
Arrival & Service pattern assumptions
Rate Poisson; Inter-arrival time Exponential
When waiting occurs?
When the assumptions are not valid?
Service policy
FCFS/Priority rules (Not covered)
Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Probability Distribution Plot Poisson

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Probability Distribution Plot Poisson

Continued

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Steady State Conditions Littles Law

Notations (all are average values)

Arrival rate = ; Service rate in any server =
Inter-arrival time = 1/ ; Service time = 1/
Waiting time in QUEUE =
Waiting time in SYSTEM =
Number of customers in QUEUE =
Number of customers in SYSTEM = s

Littles Law For both QUEUE/ SYSTEM

Average number of customers
= Average Arrival rate Average waiting time
Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Steady State Conditions Continued

More Notations
Number of servers = S
Average Service rate considering all servers = S
Average Server utilization = = /(S)
How to increase average server utilization?
Average number of customers being served (at any
time, considering all servers) = r = /
Relation between QUEUE and SYSTEM
Average number waiting in SYSTEM = Average number
waiting in QUEUE + Average number being served
Average time waiting in system = Average time waiting
in QUEUE + Average time for service
Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Models for Waiting Line

Infinite population
Single Channel
Service Rate Poisson M/M/1
Service Rate Constant M/D/1
Multiple Channel
Service Rate Poisson M/M/S
No assumption about Arrival/Service Pattern

Finite population

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

M/M/1 System

Average number of customers being served (at any time)

= System utilization (as only one server) = /
2
()

Average number of customers in QUEUE = =

Probability of Less than n units in the SYSTEM = 1

= 1 (/) = 1
=0

Probability of Zero units in the SYSTEM = SYSTEM is idle

= 0 =1 SYSTEM Utilization

Probability of n units in the SYSTEM = = 0 (/)

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

M/M/1 Problem
Customers arrive at an average of one every 15 minutes,
and their requests take on average 10 minutes to be
processed. The service counter is staffed by only one clerk.
Assume Poisson arrivals and exponential service times.
a. What percentage of time is the clerk idle?
b. How much time, on average, does a customer spend
waiting in line?
c. How long is the (waiting) line on average?
d. What is the probability that an arriving customer (just
before entering the SYSTEM) will find at least one other
customer waiting in line?
Textbook Problem 3. b. (Page 827)

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

M/M/1 Another Problem

Customers will arrive at the rate of 15 per hour. The staff

can service customers at the rate of one every three
minutes.
Because of limited space availability and a desire to
provide an acceptable level of service, the organization
would like to ensure, with 95 percent confidence, that no
more than three customers will be in the system at any
time.
What is the present level of service for the three-car limit?
What level of staff use must be attained and what must be
the service rate of the staff to ensure the 95 percent level
of service?
Dipankar Bose - XLRI

M/D/1 System

Different from M/M/1 in terms of Service time

assumption
In M/M/1 Service time is exponential
In M/D/1 Service time is constant

Average number of customers in QUEUE = =

Textbook Problem 2 (Page 827)

2
()

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

M/M/S System

There are S servers and one single QUEUE

First calculate
Average number of customers being served = /

For (/) and S(or M) Table 18.4 (Page 806-807)

Average number of customers in QUEUE =
Probability of Zero units in the SYSTEM = 0

Average waiting time for a customer who is not

immediately served = = 1/(S )
Probability that a customer have to wait after arrival =
= /

Dipankar Bose - XLRI

Multi Server Problems

A shop has two service desks, one at each entrance of the
store. Customers arrive at each service desk at an average
of one every six minutes. The service rate at each service
desk is four minutes per customer.
a. How often (percentage of time) is each service desk idle?
b. What is the probability that both service clerks are busy?
c. What is the probability that both service clerks are idle?
d. How many customers, on average, are waiting in line in
front of each service desk?
e. How much time does a customer spend in front of a desk?
Textbook Problem 8 (Page 828)
Solve the problem with two counters, each for one clerk
Textbook Example 5 (Page 809)
Dipankar Bose - XLRI