Module

D Waiting Lines
A. Why Waiting Lines Form
1. Define “customers” in waiting lines.

2. Why waiting lines form?

3. When do no waiting lines form?

B. Uses of Waiting-Line Theory

1. Service is the act of processing a customer (or manufacturing job).

2. Examples:

C. Structure of Waiting Line Problems

1. Customer population

2. The service system

Waiting Lines

Arrangement of service facilities

• Single-channel, single-phase

• Single-channel, multiple-phase

• Multiple-channel, single-phase

• Multiple-channel, multiple-phase

• Mixed arrangement

Mixed Arrangement Routing for

Routing for
: 1–
1–2–4
: 2–
2–4–3
Routing for : 3–
3–2–1–4

Service Service
facility 1 facility 2

Service Service
facility 3 facility 4

3. Priority rule
a.
b.
c.

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D. Probability Distributions
1. Arrival distribution
2. Customer arrivals can often be described by the Poisson distribution with mean = λT
and variance also = λT
a. Arrival rate:
b. Interarrival times

Pn =
(λ T )n − λ T
e for n = 0,1,2,…
n!

Where
Pn = Probability of n arrivals in T time periods
λ= Average numbers of customer arrivals per period
e= 2.7183
3. Service time distribution can be described by an exponential distribution with mean
= 1/µ and variance = (1/µ )2
a. Service time:

P (t ≤ T ) = 1 − e − µT

Where
µ= Average number of customers completing service per period
t= Service time of the customer
T= Target service time
b. The exponential distribution assumes that each service time is independent of
those that preceded it.

E. Using Waiting Line Models to Analyze Operations

1. Waiting line operating characteristics
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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2. Single-server model

a. assumptions
Number of servers:
Number of phases:
Customer population (input source):
Arrival distribution:
Service distribution:
Priority rule:
Waiting line:
b. Formulas
λ
ρ= Average utilization of system =
µ
Pn = Probability that n customers are in the system = (1 − ρ )ρ n
λ
L= Average number of customers in the service system =
µ −λ
Lq = Average number of customers in the waiting line = ρL
1
W = Average time spent in the system, including service =
µ −λ
Wq = Average waiting time in line = ρW

c. Application 1: Single Server Model

Customers arrive at a checkout counter at an average 20 per hour, according to a
Poisson distribution. They are served at an average rate of 25 per hour, with
exponential service times. Use the single-server model to estimate the operating
characteristic of this system.
λ = 20 customer arrival rate per hour
µ = 25 customer service rate per hour
λ
1. Average utilization of system ρ= =
µ
λ
2. Average number of customers in the service system L= =
µ −λ
3. Average number of customers in the waiting line L q = ρL =
1
4. Average time spent in the system, including service W = =
µ −λ
5. Average waiting time in line W q = ρW =

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d. Application 2: Analyzing the Service Rate

In the checkout counter example, what service rate is required to have customers
average only 10 minutes in the system?

1
W = = 0.17 hr (or 10 minutes)
(µ − λ )
0.17(µ − λ ) = 1 , where λ = 20 customers arrival rate per hour

µ=

3. Multiple-server model

a. Assumptions (in addition to single-server model)

b. Formulas
λ
ρ= Average utilization of system =
sµ
−1
 s −1 (λ µ )n (λ µ )s  1 
P0 = Probability that zero customers are in the system = ∑ +  
 n = 0 n ! s!  1 − ρ 
 (λ µ )n
 P0 0 < n < s
 n!
Pn = Probability that n customers are in the system =
 (λ µ ) P n ≥ s
n

 s! s n − s 0
P0 (λ µ ) ρ
s
Lq = Average number of customers in the waiting line =
s!(1 − ρ )
2

Lq
Wq = Average waiting time of customers in line =
λ
1
W= Average time spent in the system, including service = Wq +
µ
L= Average number of customers in the service system = λW

c. Application 3: Multiple-Server Model

Suppose the manager of the checkout system decides to add another counter. The
arrival rate is still 20 customers per hour, but now each checkout counter will be
designed to service customers at the rate of 12.5 per hour. What is the waiting time
in line of the new system?
s = 2 , µ = 12.5 customers per hour, λ = 20 customers per hour

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1. Average utilization λ
ρ= =
of system sµ
2. 1
P0 = =
 λ 
S

Probability that    
zero customers 1 + λ +  µ   1 
 
 µ
 1 − ρ 
are in the system s

 
3. Average number P0 (λ µ ) ρ
s

of customers in Lq = =
s!(1 − ρ )
2
the waiting line
4. Average waiting Lq
time of customers Wq = = hrs (or ______ minutes)
in line λ

4. Little’s Law

5. Finite-source model
a. Assumptions

b. Formulas
−1
N N!  λ  
n

P0 = Probability that zero customers are in the system = ∑   

 n = 0 ( N − n )!  µ  
ρ= Average utilization of the server = 1 − P0
λ+µ
Lq = Average number of customers in the waiting line =N− (1 − P0 )
λ
µ
L= Average number of customers in the service system =N− (1 − P0 )
λ
= Lq [( N − L )λ ]
−1
Wq = Average waiting time in line
= L[( N − L )λ ]
−1
W = Average time spent in the system, including service

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c. Application 4: Finite-Source Model

DBT Bank has 8 copy machines located in various offices throughout the building.
Each machine is used continuously and has an average time between failures of 50
hours. Once failed, it takes 4 hours for the service company to send a repair person
to have it fixed. What is the average number of copy machines in repair or waiting to
be repaired?
λ = 1 50 = 0.02 copiers per hour, µ = 1 4 = 0.25 copiers per hour
−1
N N!  λ  
n

P0 = ∑   
Probability that zero  n =0 ( N − n )!  µ  
1. customers are in the
1
system = =
 8! 8! 8! 8
 8! (0.08) + 7! (0.08) + ⋯ = 0 (0.08) 
0 1

 
Average utilization of ρ = 1 − P0 =
2.
the server
Average number of µ
3. customers in the service L=N− (1 − P0 ) =
system λ

d. Application 5: Hilltop Produce

The Hilltop Produce store is staffed by one checkout clerk. The average checkout time is
exponentially distributed around an average of two minutes per customer. An average of
20 customers arrive per hour.
a. What is the average utilization rate?
λ
ρ= =
µ
b. What is the probability that three or more customers will be in the checkout area?
P0 = (1 − ρ )ρ 0 =
P1 = (1 − ρ )ρ 1 =
P2 = (1 − ρ )ρ 2 =
c. What is the average number of customers in the waiting line?
 λ 
Lq = ρL = ρ   =
µ −λ 
d. If the customer spends an average of 10 minutes shopping for produce, what is
the average time customers spend in the store?
1
W= =
µ −λ