Introduction to Operations

Management (Session 10)

Prof. (Dr.) Kaustav Kundu,

Assistant Professor (QT and OM area),
Office No. 306
Basic single-server model
 Assumptions
- Poisson arrival rate
- Exponential service times
- First-come, first-served queue discipline
- Infinite queue length
- Infinite calling population
 Notations
- 𝜆 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒,
- 𝜇 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒,
- n = number of customers in the waiting line system.
Basic single-server model (Contd.)
 The probability that no customers are in the queuing system is
𝜆
𝑃0 = 1 −
𝜇

 The probability of exactly n customers in the queuing system is

𝜆 𝑛 𝜆 𝑛 𝜆
𝑃𝑛 =( ) . 𝑃0 = ( ) . 1 −
𝜇 𝜇 𝜇

 The average number of customers in the queuing system is

𝜆
𝐿=
𝜇−𝜆
 The average number of customers in the waiting line is
𝜆2
𝐿𝑞 =
𝜇 𝜇−𝜆
Basic single-server model (Contd.)
 The average time a customer spends in the queuing system is
1 𝐿
W= =
𝜇−𝜆 𝜆

 The average time a customer spends waiting in the line is

𝜆
𝑊𝑞 =
𝜇 𝜇−𝜆
 The probability that the server is busy and a customer has to wait is
𝜆
𝜌=
𝜇
 The probability that the server is idle and a customer can be served
is
𝜆
𝐼 = 1 − 𝜌 = 1 − = 𝑃0
𝜇
A single-server model

 The auxiliary bookstore in the student center at Tech is a small

facility that sells school supplies and snacks. It has one checkout
counter where one employee operates the cash register. The cash
register and operator represent the server in this waiting line system;
the customers who line up at the counter to pay for their selections
form the waiting line.
 Customers arrive at a rate of 24 per hour according to a Poisson
distribution (𝜆=24), and service times are exponentially distributed,
with a mean of 30 customers per hour (𝜇=30). The bookstore
manager wants to determine the operating characteristics for this
waiting line system.
Solution
The operating characteristics are computed using
the queuing formulas for the single-server model as
follows:
𝜆 24
𝑃0 = 1 − = 1−
𝜇 30
= 0.20 probability of no customers in the
system.
𝜆 24
𝐿 = = = 4 customers on the average in
𝜇−𝜆 30−24
the queuing system.
Solution (Contd.)
𝜆2 242
𝐿𝑞 = = = 3.2 customers on the
𝜇 𝜇−𝜆 30 30−24
average in the waiting line
1 1
W= = = 0.167 hour (10 minutes)
𝜇−𝜆 30−24
average time in the system per customer
𝜆 24
𝑊𝑞 = = = 0.133 hour (8 minutes)
𝜇 𝜇−𝜆 30 30−24
average time in the waiting line per customer
Solution (Contd.)

𝜆 24
𝜌 = = = 0.80 probability that the server will
𝜇 30
be busy and the customer must wait.
𝐼 = 1 − 𝜌 = 1 – 0.80 = 0.20 probability that the
server will be idle and a customer can be served.
Advanced Single-Server Models
 There are many variations of single server model: constant service
times, finite queue length and finite calling populations
 Constant service times occur when automated equipment or
machinery performs the service. Examples are vending machines,
car washes, etc.
 Finite queue lengths occur when there is a physical limitation to the
length of the waiting line. Example is car parking area.
 A finite calling population refers to a situation when the number of
customers that can arrive to a system is limited. For examples like
invitation-only events.
Basic Multiple-Server Model
 Assumptions
- Poisson arrival rate
- Exponential service times
- First-come, first-served queue discipline
- Infinite queue length
- Infinite calling population
 Notations
- 𝜆 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒,
- 𝜇 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒,
- n = number of customers in the waiting line system,
- 𝑠𝜇> 𝜆, where 𝑠 is the number of servers.
Basic Multiple-Server Model (Contd.)
Arrival rate 𝜆𝑛 = 𝜆
Service rate 𝜇𝑛 =s𝜇, n > s,
=n𝜇, n <= s,
Probability of n customers in the queuing system is
1 𝜆 𝑛
( ) 𝑃0 , 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛 > 𝑠
𝑠!𝑠𝑛−𝑠 𝜇
𝑃𝑛 = ൞1 𝜆
( )𝑛 𝑃0 , 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛 ≤ 𝑠
𝑛! 𝜇
Basic Multiple-Server Model (Contd.)

The probability that there are no customers in the

system (all servers are idle) is

1
𝑃0 = 1 𝜆 𝑛 1 𝜆 𝑠 𝑠𝜇
𝑛=𝑠−1
σ𝑛=0 +
𝑛! 𝜇 𝑠! 𝜇 𝑠𝜇−𝜆
Basic Multiple-Server Model (Contd.)

The probability that a customer arriving in the system

must wait for service is
1 𝜆 𝑠 𝑠𝜇
𝑃𝑤 = 𝑃0
𝑠! 𝜇 𝑠𝜇−𝜆

Average number in the system = L =

𝜆
𝜆𝜇(𝜇)𝑠 𝜆
𝑃 +
𝑠−1 !(𝑠𝜇−𝜆)2 0 𝜇
Basic Multiple-Server Model (Contd.)

𝐿
Average time in the system = W =
𝜆
𝜆
Average number in the queue = 𝐿𝑞 = 𝐿 −
𝜇
1 𝐿𝑞
Average time in the queue = 𝑊𝑞 = 1 − =
𝜇 𝜆
𝜆
Utilization = 𝜌 =
𝑠𝜇
A Multiple-Server Waiting Line System
The student health service at Tech has a waiting
room in which chairs are placed along a wall,
forming a single waiting line. Some students have
health problems that only require a nurse. The
students are served by three nurses, each located in
a separate room.
The arrival rate is 10 students per hour
The service rate is 4 students per hour per nurse
Compare a 3 server versus 4 server system.
Single-Server Model

The new accounts officer at the Citizens Bank enrolls all

new customers in checking accounts.
The arrival rate is 4 customers per hour
The service time is 12 minutes per customer
Only one person is available
Find out the operating characteristics
Mutliple-Server Model

Do the same problem when 3 persons are available

for the service.