“QUEUING THEORY”

Queuing Theory

 Queuing theory is the mathematics of waiting lines.

 It is extremely useful in predicting and evaluating

system performance.

 Queuing theory has been used for operations

research, manufacturing and systems analysis.
Traditional queuing theory problems refer to
customers visiting a store, analogous to requests
arriving at a device.
 Applications of Queuing Theory
 Telecommunications
 Traffic control
 Determining the sequence of computer
operations
 Predicting computer performance
 Health services (e.g.. control of hospital bed
assignments)
 Airport traffic, airline ticket sales
 Layout of manufacturing systems.
 Queuing System
 Model processes in which customers arrive.
 Wait their turn for service.
 Are serviced and then leave.

input output
Server

Queue
 Characteristics of Queuing
Systems
 Key elements of queuing systems

• Customer:-- refers to anything that arrives

at a facility and requires service, e.g.,
people, machines, trucks, emails.

• Server:-- refers to any resource that

provides the requested service, eg.
repairpersons, retrieval machines, runways
at airport.
 Queuing examples
System Customers Server

Reception desk People Receptionist

Hospital Patients Nurses
Airport Airplanes Runway
Road network Cars Traffic light
Grocery Shoppers Checkout
station
Computer Jobs CPU, disk, CD
 Components of a Queuing System

Service Process

Servers
Queue or
Waiting Line

Arrival Process Exit

 Parts of a Waiting Line
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

Waiting Line Service

Arrival Characteristics
Characteristics Characteristics
•Size of the population
•Limited vs. unlimited •Service design
•Behavior of arrivals
•Queue discipline •Statistical
•Statistical distribution
distribution of
of arrivals
service
 1. Arrival Process
 According to source
 According to numbers
 According to time

2. Queue Structure
• First-come-first-served (FCFS)

• Last-come-first-serve (LCFS)
• Service-in-random-order (SIRO)
• Priority service
 3. Service system
1. A single service system.

Queue
Service Departures
Arrivals facility after service

e.g- Your family dentist’s office, Library counter

 2. Multiple, parallel server, single
queue model

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

Service
facility
Channel 3

e.g- Booking at a service station

 3. Multiple, parallel facilities with
multiple queues Model
Service station Customers
Queues
Arrivals
leave

e.g.- Different cash counters in electricity office

 4. Service facilities in a series
Service station 1 Service station 2

Arrivals
Phase 1 Phase 2

Queues Queues
Customers
leave

e.g.- Cutting, turning, knurling, drilling, grinding,

packaging operation of steel
 Queuing Models
1. Deterministic queuing model
2. Probabilistic queuing model

1. Deterministic queuing model :--

λ = Mean number of arrivals per time
period
µ = Mean number of units served per
time period
 Assumptions
1. If λ > µ, then waiting line shall be formed and
increased indefinitely and service system would fail
ultimately ≤

2. If λ ≤ µ, there shall be no waiting line

 2.Probabilistic queuing model
Probability that n customers will arrive in the
system in time interval T is

P ( n) =
( λt )e
n − λt

t
n!
 Single Channel Model
λ = Mean number of arrivals per time
period
µ = Mean number of units served per
time period
Lsλ = Average number of units
µ(customers)
–λ in the system (waiting and being
served)
=
1
Ws = Average time a unit spends in the
µ–λ
system (waiting time plus service time)
=
Lq = Average number of units waiting
in the queue
λ 2
=
µ(µ – λ )
Wq = Average time a unit spends
waiting in the queue
λ
µ(µ – λ= )
p = Utilization factor for the system
λ
µ =
 P0 = Probability of 0 units in the
system (that is, the service unit is idle)
λ
=µ 1–

Pn>k = Probability of more than k units in the

system, where n is the number of units in
the system
k+1
λ
µ =
Single Channel Model
Example
λ = 2 cars arriving/hour
2 µ = 3 cars serviced/hour
λ
µ–λ 3-2
Ls = = = 2 cars
in the system on average
1 1
µ–λ 3-2
Ws = = = 1
λ 2 22 hour average waiting time in
µ(µ – λ ) 3(3 - 2) the system

Lq = = =
1.33 cars waiting in line
 Cont…

λ = 2 cars arriving/hour, µ = 3 cars

serviced/hour
λ 2
Wq = =
µ(µ – λ ) 3(3 - 2)
= 40 minute
average waiting time

p = λ /µ = 2/3 =
λ
P0 = 1 - 66.6% of time
= .33 mechanic
probability
µ is busy
there are 0 cars in the system
 Suggestions for Managing Queues
1. Determine an acceptable waiting time for your
customers
2. Try to divert your customer’s attention when
waiting
3. Inform your customers of what to expect
4. Keep employees not serving the customers out of
sight
5. Segment customers
6. Train your servers to be friendly
7. Encourage customers to come during the
slack periods
8. Take a long-term perspective toward getting
rid of the queues
 Where the Time Goes
In a life time, the average
person will spend :

SIX MONTHS Waiting at stoplights

EIGHT MONTHS Opening junk mail

ONE YEAR Looking for misplaced 0bjects

TWO YEARS Reading E-mail

FOUR YEARS Doing housework

FIVE YEARS Waiting in line

SIX YEARS Eating