18

Management of
Waiting Lines

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives

Explain why waiting lines form in systems

that are underloaded.
Identify the goal of queuing (waiting-line)
management.
List the measures of system performance
that are used in queuing.
Discuss the assumptions of the basic
queuing models presented.
Solve typical problems.
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Disney World
Waiting in lines does not add enjoyment
Waiting in lines does not generate
revenue
Waiting lines are non-value added occurrences

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Waiting Lines
Queuing theory: Mathematical approach to
the analysis of waiting lines.
Goal of queuing analysis is to minimize the
sum of two costs

Customer waiting costs

Service capacity costs

Waiting lines are non-value added

occurrences

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Implications of Waiting Lines

Cost to provide waiting space
Loss of business
Customers leaving
Customers refusing to wait

Loss of goodwill
Reduction in customer satisfaction
Congestion may disrupt other business
operations
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Queuing Analysis
Figure 18.1

Cost

Total
cost

Customer
waiting cost

Total cost

Capacity
cost

Cost of
service
capacity

Cost of
customers
waiting

Service capacity

Optimum
18-6

System Characteristics
Population Source

Infinite source: customer arrivals are

unrestricted

Finite source: number of potential

customers is limited

Number of observers (channels)

Arrival and service patterns
Queue discipline (order of service)
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Elements of Queuing System

Figure 18.2
Processing
order

Arrivals

Waiting
line

Service

Exit

System

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Queuing Systems
Figure 18.3

Multiple channel

Channel: A server in
a service system

Multiple phase

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Poisson Distribution
Figure 18.4

0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0

10 11 12

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Waiting line Models

Patient
Customers enter the waiting line and remain until
served

Reneging
Waiting customers grow impatient and leave the
line

Jockeying
Customers may switch to another line

Balking
Upon arriving, decide the line is too long and
decide not to enter the line
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Waiting Time vs. Utilization

Average number on
time waiting in line

Figure 18.7

System Utilization

100%

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System Performance
Measured by:
1. Average number of customers waiting

2. Average time customers wait

3. System utilization

4. Implied cost
5. Probability that an arrival will have to
wait
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Queuing Models: Infinite-Source

1.Single channel, exponential service time
2.Single channel, constant service time
3.Multiple channel, exponential service
time
4.Multiple priority service, exponential
service time

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Priority Model
Processing
order

Arrivals
Arrivals are assigned
a priority as they arrive

Waiting
line

Service

Exit

System

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Table 18.6

Finite-Source Formulas

Service factor
Average number waiting
Average waiting time
Average number running
Average number being served
Number in population

T
X
T U
L N (1 F)
L(T U ) T(1 F)
W

NL
XF
J NF(1 X )
H FNX
N J L H

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Finite-Source Queuing

Not waiting or
being served

Waiting

Being
served

JH
F
J LH

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Other Approaches
Reduce perceived waiting time
Magazines in waiting rooms
Radio/television

In-flight movies
Filling out forms

Derive benefits from waiting

Place impulse items near checkout
Advertise other goods/services

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