QMB600 Professor: Dr. Elias M.

Choueiri

Waiting Line Example Problems with Solutions

1. Students arrive at an information desk located in the College of Management at an average of
one every 15 minutes, and their requests take an average of 10 minutes to be processed. At the
present time, the service counter is staffed by only one clerk, Adriana Flores, who works eight
hours per day. Assume Poisson arrivals and exponential service times.

a. What percentage of time is Adriana busy?

b. On average, how many students will be waiting in line?
c. On average, how much time does a student spend waiting in line?
d. What is the probability that an arriving student will find at least one other student waiting
in line?

Solution:
There is a single counter and a single clerk, so it is a single-channel system, and we’ll use what
the book refers to as an M/M/1 model. The arrival rate is λ = 60/15 = 4 students/hr., and the
service rate is µ = 60/10 = 6 students/hr.
a. The percentage of time that Adriana is busy is equal to her utilization: ρ = λ/µ = 4/6 =
0.667 or 66.7 percent.
λ2 42
b. Average number in line: Lq = µ(µ−λ) = 6(6−4) = 1.333 students.

c. Average time in line: Wq = Lq/λ = 1.333/4 = 0.333 hours or 20 minutes.

d. Probability of at least one other student waiting in line: To answer this, we need the
formula:
µ ¶n µ ¶ µ ¶n
λ λ λ
Pr{n customers in the system} = Pn = P0 = 1−
µ µ µ
Note that Pr{1 or more in line} = Pr{2 or more in system} = 1−Pr{fewer than 2 in system} =
1 − (P0 + P1 ). Using the formula above, we compute P0 = 0.333 and P1 = 0.222, so
1 − (P0 + P1 ) = 0.445. Alternatively, we could use the formula Pn>k = (λ/µ)k+1 with
k = 1, which yields the same result.

2. (Continued from Problem 1.) The College of Management estimates that the time a student
spends waiting in line costs $10 per hour (due to loss of goodwill, etc.). To reduce the time a
student spends waiting, they know that they need to improve Adriana’s processing time. They
are currently considering the following two options:

• Install a computer system which will reduce the average processing time 40 percent.
• Hire another clerk who will work at the same rate as Adriana.

If the computer costs $99.50 per day to operate, and the clerk gets paid $75 per day, which
alternative should the school choose?
Solution:
Compare the two alternatives based on the sum of waiting costs and additional service cost,
assuming eight hours of operation per day.

Spring 2009
 New computer: We still have a single-channel system, and the arrival rate stays the same: λ = 4
students/hr. The service time is reduced by 40 percent, so the new service time is 6 minutes, so
the new service rate is µ = 10 students/hr. The waiting cost depends on the number of students
λ2 42
waiting in line: Lq = µ(µ−λ) = 10(10−4) = 0.267 students. Thus, we have

waiting cost comp. cost

z }| { z }| {
Total cost = 0.267 students × $10/hr. × 8 hrs./day + $99.50 = $120.86 per day

Another clerk: We’ll assume that students form a single line and go to the first available clerk.
Since there are two clerks serving one line, we need to use the multiple channel (M/M/m) model
with m = 2. As in Question 1, we have λ = 4 students/hr., and µ = 6 students/hr. For the
multiple channel model, it’s easiest to use the table of Lq values (at the end of this document).
First, we recall that λ/µ = 4/6 = 0.667. Look at Lq table and find λ/µ = 0.667; now find the
row labeled m = 2. We see that Lq = 0.083. Thus, we have

waiting cost clerk cost

z }| { z }| {
Total cost = 0.083 students × $10/hr. × 8 hrs./day + $75 = $81.64 per day

Since this is less than the cost of adding a computer, it is better to hire another clerk. (Note:
If you do not see the exact value of λ/µ that you are looking for, you can find a value that is
close, or take an average of two values.)

3. At the border inspection station in Brownsville, Texas, vehicles arrive at the rate of 10 per minute
according to a Poisson process. The time it takes to inspect a car is exponentially distributed
with a mean of 5 seconds. Answer the questions below, assuming that there is only one lane and
one inspector.

a. On average, how many cars will be waiting in line?

b. What is the average time that it takes a car to get through the system?
c. What is the utilization of the inspector?
d. What is the probability that an arriving car will find three or more vehicles waiting in line?

Solution:
Here we have a single inspector and a single line, so it is a single-channel waiting line system
(M/M/1). Cars arrive in a Poisson fashion, and the mean arrival rate is λ = 10 cars/min. The
service times are exponential with mean of 5 seconds, so the service rate is µ = 60/5 = 12
cars/min. We can use any time units we want, but we must be sure that we are consistent.
λ2 102
a. Average number cars in line: Lq = µ(µ−λ) = 12(12−10) = 4.167 cars.
b. Average time in system: W = Wq + 1/µ = Lq /λ + 1/µ = 4.167/10 + 1/12 = 0.5 minutes or
30 seconds.
c. Utilization: ρ = λ/µ = 10/12 = 0.833 or 83.3 percent.
d. Note that Pr{3 or more in line} = 1 − Pr{4 or more in system} = 1 − (P0 + P1 + P2 + P3).
Using the formula for Pn above, we compute P0 = 0.167, P1 = 0.139, P2 = 0.116, and P3 =
0.097. Thus, we have 1 − (P0 + P1 + P2 + P3) = 1 − 0.518 = 0.482. Alternatively, we could
use the formula Pn>k = (λ/µ)k+1 with k = 3, which yields the same result.
4. (Continued from Problem 3.) The border inspection station is considering the addition of a
second inspector. One alternative is to have cars form a single line and proceed to the first
available inspector. Answer the questions below with respect to this alternative.

a. On average, how many cars will be waiting in line?

b. What is the average time that it takes a car to get through the system?

Another alternative is to have the cars form two lines, one for each inspector. Answer the
questions below with respect to this alternative.

c. On average, how many cars will be waiting in line?

d. What is the average time that it takes a car to get through the system?

Solution:
First, we consider the alternative of having cars form a single line and proceeding to the first
available inspector, as shown in Figure 1. Since we have two inspectors serving one line, this is
a multiple-channel queue (M/M/m), with m = 2. The arrival rate is still λ = 10 cars/min. and
the service rate is still µ = 12 cars/min. for each inspector.

a. Average number of cars in line: First, we recall that λ/µ = 10/12 = 0.833. Looking at the
Lq table, and finding λ/µ = 0.833 and m = 2 reveals that Lq = 0.175 cars.
b. Average time in the system: W = Wq + 1/µ = Lq /λ + 1/µ = 0.175/10 + 1/12 = 0.10083
minutes or about 6 seconds.

Now let’s consider the alternative of having the cars form two lines, one for each inspector, as
shown in Figure 2. Since each inspector has his/her own line, we really have two, single-channel
queues. Clearly, each inspector will still be able to serve µ = 12 cars/min. What is the arrival
rate to each line? Well, if 10 cars arrive per minute, how many of them will go to the first line,
on average? Approximately half, so now we have λ = 5 cars/min.
λ 2 5 2
c. Average number cars in line: Lq = µ(µ−λ) = 12(12−5) = 0.298 cars. But this result applies
to each line, so for the whole system we have 2(0.298) = 0.596 cars waiting.
d. Average time in system: W = Wq + 1/µ = Lq /λ + 1/µ = 0.298/5 + 1/12 = 0.1429 minutes
or 8.58 seconds.

Notice how for both alternatives the time spent in the system was more than cut in half with
the addition of another inspector. However, the results are better for the first alternative. Why?

Figure 1: Alternative 1 — Single Line Figure 2: Alternative 2 — Multiple Lines

 Formulas for Waiting Line Problems

Single-Channel Model Formulas (M/M/1)

 n
λ2 Lq λ λ λ
Lq = Wq = = Pn = P0 ρ=
µ(µ − λ) λ µ(µ − λ) µ µ
   k+1
λ λ 1 1 λ λ
L = Lq + = W = Wq + = P0 = 1 − Pn>k =
µ µ−λ µ µ−λ µ µ

Multiple-Channel Model Formulas (M/M/m)

λµ(λ/µ)m (λ/µ)n
 
Lq λ
Lq = P0 Wq = Pn = P0 , 1≤n≤m ρ=
(m − 1)!(mµ − λ)2 λ n! mµ
λ 1 1
L = Lq + W = Wq + P0 = m−1  n 
µ µ P 1 λ  m
1 λ mµ
+
n=0
n! µ m! µ mµ − λ

Table of Lq and P0 values given λ/µ and m

λ/µ m Lq P0 λ/µ m Lq P0 λ/µ m Lq P0

0.150 2 0.001 0.860 0.750 2 0.123 0.455 1.3 2 0.951 0.212
3 0.015 0.471 3 0.130 0.264
0.200 2 0.002 0.818 4 0.023 0.271
0.250 2 0.004 0.778 0.800 2 0.152 0.429 5 0.004 0.272
3 0.019 0.447 1.4 2 1.345 0.176
0.300 2 0.007 0.739 0.833 2 0.175 0.412 3 0.177 0.236
0.333 2 0.010 0.714 3 0.022 0.432 4 0.032 0.245
0.350 2 0.011 0.702 0.850 2 0.187 0.404 5 0.006 0.246
0.375 2 0.014 0.684 3 0.024 0.425 1.5 2 1.929 0.143
0.857 2 0.193 0.400 3 0.237 0.211
0.400 2 0.017 0.667 3 0.025 0.422 4 0.045 0.221
0.417 2 0.019 0.655 5 0.009 0.223
0.450 2 0.024 0.633 0.900 2 0.229 0.379 1.6 2 2.844 0.111
3 0.002 0.637 3 0.030 0.403 3 0.313 0.187
0.466 2 0.027 0.622 4 0.004 0.406 4 0.060 0.199
3 0.002 0.627 0.950 2 0.277 0.356 5 0.012 0.201
3 0.037 0.383 1.7 2 4.426 0.081
0.500 2 0.033 0.600 4 0.005 0.386 3 0.409 0.166
3 0.003 0.606 4 0.080 0.180
0.550 2 0.045 0.569 1.000 2 0.333 0.333 5 0.017 0.182
3 0.004 0.576 3 0.045 0.364 1.8 2 7.674 0.053
4 0.007 0.367 3 0.532 0.146
0.600 2 0.059 0.538 4 0.105 0.162
3 0.006 0.548 1.100 2 0.477 0.290 5 0.023 0.165
0.650 2 0.077 0.509 3 0.066 0.327 1.9 2 17.587 0.026
3 0.008 0.521 4 0.011 0.332 3 0.688 0.128
0.667 2 0.083 0.500 4 0.136 0.145
3 0.009 0.512 1.200 2 0.675 0.250 5 0.030 0.149
3 0.094 0.294
0.700 2 0.098 0.481 4 0.016 0.300 2.0 3 0.889 0.111
3 0.011 0.495 5 0.003 0.301 4 0.174 0.130