Chapter 5: Queuing theory

Queuing theory
- A mathematical method of analyzing the congestions and delays of
waiting in line.
- A queueing model is constructed so that queue lengths and waiting
time can be predicted.
- Typical examples might be:
 Banks/supermarkets - waiting for service
 Computers - waiting for a response
 Failure situations - waiting for a failure to occur
e.g. in a piece of machinery
 Public transport - waiting for a train or a bus
- Queuing theory examines every component of waiting in line to be
served, including the arrival process, service process, number of
servers, number of system places and the number of "customers"
(which might be people, data packets, cars, etc.).

Waiting line or Queuing Theory: A historical note

 Queuing theory in done by 1905 by A.K Erlang, a Danish
telephone engineer.
 The basic problem faced by Erlang was to determine the effects
of fluctuating demands for telephone service or new equipment
that was being designed and installed.
 In queuing jargon, Erlang was attempting to measure the effect
of an unknown distribution of arrivals (incoming calls) on the
telephone company’s ability to provide prompt and efficient
service when the time to provide the required service varies.
 From the time of Erlang’s work to World War II, little
progress was in queuing theory. Since the war queuing theory
has been further developed and refined.
Why should manager be concerned with queuing theory?
Managers have a number of very good reasons to be concerned with
waiting lines. Chief among those reasons are the following:-
1. The cost to provide waiting space.
2. A possible loss of business should customers leave the line
before being served or refuse to wait at all.
3. A possible loss of good will.
4. A possible reduction in customer satisfaction.
5. The resulting congestion may disturb other business operations
and/ or customers.
6. The goal of queuing is essentially to minimize total costs.
 Key issues in waiting line:

The waiting line consists of

customers who have been
admitted to the system and are
awaiting service. Some key
issues are:

Balking: Arriving customers

decide not to join the queue,
say, because of long waiting
line.

Reneging: Customers may

arrive, wait for a while, but then
leave without being served.

Jockeying: Customers may

switch lines in an attempt to lessen
waiting time (joint the other queue and
leaving the first one).