WAITING

LINE MODELS
Jairus Lemuel D. Egar
Frederick B. Galvez
 WAITING LINE MODELS

 A waiting line model is also known as a queuing

system
 Waiting lines are common situations
 Useful in both manufacturing and service areas
STRUCTURE OF A
WAITING LINE MODEL
 1 2 3

Arrivals Queue Service

Discipline facility
 Arrivals Queue Service Exit the system
Population of from the (waiting line) facility
dirty cars general
population …
Dave’s
Car Wash

Enter Exit

Arrivals to the system In the system Exit the system

 Arrivals

 Scheduled or random

 The Poisson Distribution provides the probability of

x arrivals in a specific time period
 Poisson Distribution

e-x
P(x) = for x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …
x!
where P(x) = probability of x arrivals
x = number of arrivals per unit of time
 = The mean number of arrivals per time
period / arrival rate
e = 2.7183 (which is the base of the natural
logarithms)
 Poisson Distribution

Example:
A fast-food restaurant can expect two customers every 3
minutes, on average.

What is the probability that five customers will enter the

restaurant in a 9-minute period?
 Poisson Distribution
Solution:
=6
X=5
𝑒 −𝜆 𝜆𝑥
P(x) =
𝑥!

𝑒 −6 65
P(x) =
5!

P(x) = .1606 or 16.06%

 Queue Discipline

 Limited or unlimited queue length

 Queue discipline: first-in, first-out (FIFO) is most
common
 Other priority rules may be used in special
circumstances
 Service Facility

 Queuing system designs:

 Single-channel system, multiple-channel system
 Single-phase system, multiphase system
 Queuing System Designs
A family dentist’s office

Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals after service
facility

Single-channel, single-phase system

A McDonald’s dual window drive-through

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

Single-channel, multiphase system

 Queuing System Designs
Most bank and post office service windows

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

Service
facility
Channel 3

Multi-channel, single-phase system

 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

 Service Facility
 Service time distribution
 Constant service time or Random service time
 The Exponential probability distribution
provides the probability that the service time will
be less than or greater than or equal to the
length of a particular time.
 Exponential Probability
Distribution

 P(X>𝑡) = e-μ𝑡
 P(X<𝑡) = 1 - e- μ𝑡
μ = the mean number of units that can be served per period / service rate
𝑡 = particular time
 Exponential Probability
Distribution

Example:
A cashier serves 6 customers per hour. A customer arrive at the counter. Find
the probability of the following events:

a. The service is completed in less than 5 minutes

b. more than 10 minutes
 Exponential Probability
Distribution
A. B.

𝜇= 0.1 𝜇= 0.1
𝑡=5 𝑡 = 10
P(X<𝑡) = 1 - 𝑒 −𝜇𝑡 P(X>𝑡) = 𝑒 −𝜇𝑡
P(X<𝑡) = 1 - 𝑒 −0.1(5) P(X>𝑡) = 𝑒 −0.1(10)
= 0.3935 or 39.35% =0.3679 or 36.79%
SINGLE CHANNEL
WAITING LINE
MODEL
(WITH POISSON ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES)
 APPLICABLE ONLY WHEN:

1 2 3

Arrivals follow a Service times follow Mean service rate is

Poisson probability an exponential larger than the mean
distribution probability distribution arrival rate
(µ > )
 FORMULAS
 = Mean number of arrivals per time period
µ = Mean number of units served per time period
P0 = Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the service unit is idle)

= 1–
µ
Lq = Average number of units waiting in the queue
2
=
µ(µ – )
L = Average number of units in the system

= Lq + µ
 FORMULAS
Wq = Average time a unit spends in the waiting line
= Lq

W = Average time a unit spends in the system
= Wq + 1/µ
PW = Probability that an arriving unit has to wait for service (also called utilization factor)
= 
µ

Pn = Probability of n units in the system

=
 FOR EXAMPLE…
Maricar Wash, a car wash, only has one station in its car
wash, with an arrival rate of  = 3 customers per hour,
and a service rate of µ = 4 customers per hour.
MULTIPLE-CHANNEL
WAITING LINE
MODEL
(WITH POISSON ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES)
 APPLICABLE ONLY WHEN:

1 2

Arrivals follow a The service time for

Poisson probability each channel follows
distribution an exponential
probability distribution
 APPLICABLE ONLY WHEN:

3 4 5

The service rate µ is The arrivals wait in a Mean service rate times
the same for each single line and then no. of channel is larger
channel move to the first open than the mean arrival
channel for service rate (kµ > )
 FORMULAS
 = Mean number of arrivals per time period
µ = Mean number of units served per time period
k = Number of channels
P0 = Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the service unit is idle)

Lq = Average number of units waiting in the queue

=
 FORMULAS
L = Average number of units in the system
=
Wq = Average time a unit spends in the waiting line
=
W = Average time a unit spends in the system
=
PW = Probability that an arriving unit has to wait for service
=
 FORMULAS
Pn = Probability of n units in the system
= if n ≤ k
=

= if n > k
=
 FOR EXAMPLE…
Maricar Wash, a car wash, has two stations in its car
wash, with an arrival rate of  = 3 customers per hour,
and a service rate of µ = 4 customers per hour.
ECONOMIC
ANALYSIS OF
WAITING LINES
 FORMULAS
Cw = Waiting cost per time period for each unit
L = The average number of units in the system
Cs = Service cost per time period for each channel
k = The number of channels
TC = The total cost per time period

TC = CwL + Csk
 FOR EXAMPLE…
Maricar Wash, a car wash, is thinking whether to have one or two stations
in its car wash. It has an arrival rate of  = 3 customers per hour, and a
service rate of µ = 4 customers per hour. They have a service cost of $7
per hour, and they assigned the waiting cost per unit to be $10 per hour.
BUT WAIT…
…there’s more!
 THREE-SYMBOL KENDALL NOTATION
A denotes the probability distribution for the arrivals
B denotes the probability distribution for the service time
k denotes the number of channels

Depending on the letter appearing on the A or B position, a variety of waiting line systems can be
Described, e.g.:

M designates a Poisson probability distribution for the arrivals or an exponential probability

distribution for service time
D designates that the arrivals or the service time is deterministic or constant
G designates that the arrivals or the service time has a general probability distribution with a
known mean and variance
 Single-Channel Waiting Line Model with
Poisson arrivals an arbitrary service times
Operating Characteristics for the M/G/1 Model
Notations used:

𝜆= arrival rate
𝜇= service rate
𝜎= the standard deviation of the service time

1. The probability that no units are in the system

𝜆
𝑃0 = 1 −
𝜇
Operating Characteristics for the M/G/1 Model:

2. The average number of units in the waiting line

2
𝜆2 𝜎 2 + (𝜆Τ𝜇)
𝐿𝑞 =
2(1 − 𝜆Τ𝜇)
3. The average number of units in the system
𝜆
𝐿 = 𝐿𝑞 +
𝜇
4. The average time a unit spends in the waiting line
𝐿𝑞
𝑊𝑞 =
𝜆
Operating Characteristics for the M/G/1 Model:

5. The average time a unit spends in the system

1
𝑊 = 𝑊𝑞 +
𝜇
6. The probability that an arriving unit has to wait for service
𝜆
𝑃𝑤 =
𝜇
 Constant service time

Operating Characteristics for the M/D/1 model:

 Average number of units in the waiting line

(𝜆Τ𝜇)2
𝐿𝑞 =
2(1 − 𝜆Τ𝜇)