THEORIES AND APPLICATIONS RELATED TO QUEUING SYSTEMS

NAJEEB AL-MATAR

Management Information System Department, AlBaha University, Saudi Arabia

Email: nalmatar2006@my.fit.edu

Abstract: Mathematical study of waiting line or queues is known as queuing theory. Through the integration of
mathematical analysis of various related processes, queuing theory is enabled. Through this theory different performance
measures can be derived and calculated. Components that are active in the working of this theory are serving time, waiting
time and duration. Theory of queuing has an integral role due to so many applications based on this theory. This research
paper is based on different theories of queuing systems, along with its effective applications by secondary quantitative
research methodology. Applications from health care systems, sales systems, computer systems and communication systems
are discussed, along with the research analysis of all of them.

Keywords: queuing systems, queuing theory, customer services, Communication Systems, services.

I. INTRODUCTION: utilization. Statistics and data collected from this

Queuing theory can be defined as delay problems and
situations in daily lives. However, queuing is the
name given to more technical kind of delay (Bhat,
2008). Business process re- engineering purposes in
administrative tasks is highly influenced by queuing
theory (Golubchik & Lui, 2002). “Queuing models
provide the analyst with powerful tools for
designing and evaluating the performance of
queuing” (Nafees, 2007). This theory helps the
owners of different organizations analyze the percent
at which, customers wait for their services to be
given to them and improve the percentage of services
in this manner (Gross, Shortle, Thompson & Harris,
2008). This discussion is based on different theories
of queuing systems, along with its effective
applications.
amount of number of people leaving, health care
organizations determine the rate of revenue loss. The
Same queuing method can also be utilized to
minimize the reneging factor in health care
organizations. One way of doing this is by
categorizing patients according to the service they
require (Fomundam & Herrmann, 2007).
2.2. Applications in Sales Systems
Sales services are all about input resources. Customer
services are also dependent on the input resources.
Service mechanism enables customers to become a
part of or leave the queue of services. There are two
different models, such as, Single-queue Multiple-
Servers model and Multiple-Queues, Multiple-
Servers model that can explain this phenomenon.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Applications in Health Care Systems

Queuing system is very beneficial in the health care

systems as well. One of the biggest hurdles in health
care organizations is the fact that patients have to
wait in long queues for their turn to be assisted. Figure 1: Single-Queue, Multiple-Servers Model.
Queuing system minimizes the time that customers
have to waste in waiting and utilizing their resources Source: Nafees, 2007.
and servers. These servers include the nurses,
hospital beds, doctors and other health care services.
When a person chose to stop waiting in a queue, he
complies with the phenomenon of reneging. This
decision is dependent on the length of the queue and
the amount of stamina that a patient has to wait in a
line (Fomundam & Herrmann, 2007).
Health care organizations attain dysfunctional
equilibrium through exceeding server capacity by
reneging. This example can be understood through
the example of emergency units in the hospital (Tian
& Zhang, n.d). Most of the patients quit emergency Figure 2: Multiple-Queues, Multiple-Server Model.
departments without even getting treated for their
health problem due to capacity, arrival rate and Source: Nafees, 2007.
Proceedings of Academics World 54th International Conference, Malacca, Malaysia, 2nd-3rd December 2016, ISBN: 978-93-86291-48-6
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 Theories and Applications Related to Queuing Systems
According to these models, arrival process has the
number of customers arriving and the nature of the
services they require. On the other hand, waiting
process includes the length of the queue, the time in
which, customer waits for his services (Nafees,
2007).
Service model indicates the time that each customer
took during the services, which was given to them. It
is one of the essential things to know what time each
customer requires to be served. If by this time,
customer changes his queue and moves to another
queue due to the shortage of his length, then this
would act as a parallel server (Jardine & Tsang,
2013). There is always fluctuation in the arrival time
and the time of service. Through the combination of
input processes and Poisson processes, a general
criterion for counting the numbers of customers is
decided. Intervals caused in sales services are studied
through these criterions of queuing systems (Nafees,
2007).
2.3. Application in Computer Systems
Queues are very common in computer systems.
Computer systems interact with one another to
answer different queries related to the inquiries of the
queue (Allen, 1977). In computer systems, queuing
system helps in calculating the service facilities with
one and more than one servers. It also helps in
waiting room or buffer of infinite and finite capacity.
Different people in different populations try to get
some kind of service by entering in the queuing
system. In addition, the word customer in a computer
system can be used for a computer system program,
packet in a communication network, job in a
computer system or any kind of inquiry or request in
the system (Inria, 2004).
Once a particular customer is served in the queuing
system, he leaves. If service centers are busy then
customer directly goes into the waiting system of
computers (Inria, 2004). D. G Kendell devised the
method and applied it to the theory of queues (Blum,
n.d). A notation known as Kendall’s notation
describes the queuing system of computer systems
(Inria, 2004):
A/B/c/K
Interarrival time distribution is described through A
in this notation. B in this notion is the service time
distribution, c is the number of servers and K is the
size of the system capacity that includes the servers
(Inria, 2004).
The symbol of A is often replaced by the symbol of
M because it represents the exponential distribution
presented through Markov (Bolch & Greiner, 2006).
On the other hand, D represents deterministic
distribution and G or GI for general distribution. A
lot of computer system applications produce different
classes of customers preferential treatment, which
means that service is provided in a queue and the
customers, which are of priority, are served first.
They also work within the framework of two basic
Proceedings of Academics World 54th International Conference, Malacca, Malaysia, 2nd-3rd December 2016, ISBN: 978-93-86291-48-6
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priority policies, which are n on-preemptive priority
policy and preemptive priority policy. Even simplest
computer systems have multiple resource systems.
Thus, there are multiple of queues associated with
each of these multiple computer systems (Inria,
2004).
Queue length distribution is one of the most effective
methods for doing the queue analysis for Markov
chain. A discrete set of points on the time axis is
selected to construct a discrete parameter stochastic
process, which is Markovian (Medhi, 2013). The
probability function for random variable of interest is
established through the Markov process. In computer
systems, response time of a particular job is
calculated by the duration of the time interval
between job’s departure and arrival. Particularly in
the computer industry, this time, duration is known as
“turn around time”. Communication between the
applied mathematician and system analyst is
improved through the heightened awareness of
queuing theory (Blum, n.d). Matrix-geometric
structures are another application based on the
Markov system analysis through queuing theory.
2.4. Application in Communication Systems
Applicability of queuing theory through Markov
process is also found in the field of communication
systems (Giambene, 2014). This chain is based on the
condition that the past, present and future all of them
are independent. The natural law of jump chain done
within Markov chain process is also one of the
examples of the application of queuing theory in
communication systems (Busson, 2012).
III. METHODOLOGY
Research methodology of this research paper is based
on secondary quantitative research and data
collection. Data is collected through various scholarly
articles based on statistical queuing researches and
applications. All the secondary data is reported in its
original format. Furthermore, all the arguments are
supported by evidence from the arguments presented
in the original data. All the resources used are
original and authentic.
IV. RESEARCH ANALYSIS
Businesses and facilities are nurtured by an orderly
fashion if queuing. It is one of the most widely
relatable social phenomena of how forming a queue
is beneficial for the society.
It tells that how people can benefit from waiting for
the service being provided to him. The effect and
nature of this benefit can be analyzed through the
study of the time of duration and the wait for service.
A telephone exchange can be considered an example
to explain this concept. Voice and other data stand in
 Theories and Applications Related to Queuing Systems
the queue whenever there is telephonic
communication in the communication systems
(Anonymous, n.d).
In a particular manufacturing organization, there are
different work stations. All these work stations work
cooperatively and wait for the desired services to be
provided by the other work station. In a garage,
different vehicles wait for their turn to receive
mechanic services. Patients have to wait for their turn
in order to get their health care services in the
hospitals. Thus, there are several other examples in
everyday life, which proof how queue servicing is
necessary for the survival of human beings in the
society. In a particular input process, if the offer of
service and the occurrence of arrivals are strictly
following the schedule, then in such a case, a queue
can be avoided (Anonymous, n.d).
However, a queue cannot be avoided in a practical
scenario. It is a product of external factors in most of
the cases. Random variables can best describe the
input processes because that portrays the time
interval between successive arrivals or the number of
arriving during a time interval. Random variables can
also represent a number of customers in one group.
On the other hand, different servers, which are the
number of customers served at the same time and the
duration of their mode of service is always carried
out in various uncertainties. Servers are arranged in a
series or parallel within one network of queues
(Anonymous, n.d).
Service times and the appropriate number of servers
are represented through random variables. Again, if
the customers, to whom the service is provided, are in
groups then their size can also be one of the random
variables. One of the significant factors to consider is
the time in a queuing system where one customer can
actually wait. Practically, a particular waiting room is
considered large, if it is infinite. However, in the
example of a telephone system, the buffer, which is
responsible for accommodating our call while
waiting for a free line is equally important.
Moreover, rules of conduct for queue discipline can
be pooled under the category of queue discipline
(Anonymous, n.d).
The Queuing system includes interconnecting queues
and number of service centers. Customers for service
are also selected in one of these rules that come under
the category for queue analysis. Some of these rules
include first come first served or FCFS, last come
first served or LCFS and random selection for service
or RS. There are various other rules as well, such as,
shortest processing time and round robin that can be
elaborated. In some classes, some customers get
priority over other customers (Sztrik, 2006). These
classes may include the effective operation of
communication systems and operation of computers.
Balking, jockeying and reneging are some of the
other factors of customer behavior that can be taken
into consideration (Anonymous, n.d).
These factors are identified through a variety of
Proceedings of Academics World 54th International Conference, Malacca, Malaysia, 2nd-3rd December 2016, ISBN: 978-93-86291-48-6
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system elements that are symbolically identified
through taxonomy. A system representing three
elements, such as input service and a number of
servers basically represent the commonly used
queuing theory. In order to understand the queuing
system, it is important to understand the behavior of
underlying processes so that management is able to
take intelligent and informed decisions. The first
category of problems is behavioral problems. These
problems represent how they behave under various
conditions. In order to find this, mathematical models
for finding out the probability relations are being
used. A stochastic process can be defined as a
sequence or collection consisting of random variables
(Anonymous, n.d).
The mean depicted that customers are not being
served and they were waiting still for the service.
These random variables are differentiated through the
variable of time. This can be understood through the
example of the record of the number of accidents
occurring within the city. Queue length, waiting time
and busy period are the time, length of time and
duration of the customers in a system. Stochastic
processes can be understood through the example of
queue length and the waiting time. Queue analysis is
done in the essential factor of time. A statistical study
needs to be done in order to select the correct
mathematical model, which can portray its derived
properties. This can be studied through basic
elements of the model (Anonymous, n.d).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
In conclusion, queuing theory has a much-diversified
range of applications. It enjoys a very dominant place
in the contemporary analytical techniques.
Information is obtained on the basis of analysis done
by the queuing systems. Queuing theory plays a very
important role in the development of everyday social
life. All the applications discussed above are practical
and their worth is portrayed in the actions of
everyday life. This theory also explains the
mathematical, as well as, social study of waiting lines
in everyday life. Through the prediction and analysis
of waiting times in various organizations,
management is able to extract effective results and
strategies. Organizations that actively integrate
queuing analysis for the betterment of their
organizational bodies should form recommendation
plans and strategies to other organizations, which are
not yet able to identify the worth of this mathematical
study. Queuing analysis can give very effective
results in health care organizations, such as hospitals
and other medical places, where people have to wait
in lines in order to get essential health care services
and treatments.
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