JKUAT HBC 2122/2210 Operations Research.

2017

Queuing Model

Waiting lines are the most frequently encountered problems in everyday life. For example, queue at a
cafeteria, library, bank, etc. Common to all of these cases are the arrivals of objects requiring service and
the attendant delays when the service mechanism is busy. Waiting lines cannot be eliminated completely,
but suitable techniques can be used to reduce the waiting time of an object in the system.

A long waiting line may result in loss of customers to an organization. Waiting time can be reduced by
providing additional service facilities, but it may result in an increase in the idle time of the service
mechanism.

Queuing theory is based on mathematical theories and deals with the problems arising due to flow of
customers towards the service facility. The Queuing models help the management in balancing between
the cost associated with waiting and the cost of providing service. Thus, queuing or waiting line models
can be applied in such situations where decisions have to be taken to minimize the waiting time with
minimum investment cost.

Basic Terminologies

Queuing Model : It is a suitable model used to represent a service oriented problem, where
customers arrive randomly to receive some service, the service time being also
a random variable. The statistical pattern of the arrival can be indicated through
the probability distribution of the number of the arrivals in an interval.

Service Time: The time taken by a server to complete service is known as service time. It is a
mechanism through which service is offered.

Queue Discipline: It is the order in which the members of the queue are offered service.

Poisson Process: It is a probabilistic phenomenon where the number of arrivals in an interval of

length t follows a Poisson distribution with parameter λt, where λ is the rate of
arrival.

Queue: A group of items waiting to receive service, including those receiving the
service, is known as queue.

Waiting time in queue :Time spent by a customer in the queue before being served.

Waiting time in the system: It is the total time spent by a customer in the system. It can be calculated as
follows:

Waiting time in the system = Waiting time in queue + Service time

Queue length : Number of persons in the system at any time.

Average length of line: The number of customers in the queue per unit of time.

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Average idle time: The average time for which the system remains idle.

FIFO: The first in first out queue discipline.

Bulk Arrivals : If more than one customer enter the system at an arrival event, it is known as bulk
arrivals.

Components of the Queuing System

Input Source: The input source generates customers for the service mechanism. The most important
characteristic of the input source is its size. It may be either finite or infinite. Please note
that the calculations are far easier for the infinite case, therefore, this assumption is
often made even when the actual size is relatively large. If the population size is finite,
then the analysis of queuing model becomes more involved.

The statistical pattern by which calling units are generated over time must also be
specified. It may be Poisson or Exponential probability distribution. Usually the source
population is considered as unlimited.

Queue: It is characterized by the maximum permissible number of units that it can contain.
Queues may be infinite or finite.

Service Discipline: It refers to the order in which members of the queue are selected for
service. Frequently, the discipline is first come, first served.

Following are some other disciplines:

LIFO (Last In First Out)

SIRO (Service In Random Order)

Priority System

Service Mechanism: A specification of the service mechanism includes a description of time to complete
a service and the number of customers who are satisfied at each service event.

The service mechanism also prescribes the number and configuration of servers. If there
is more than one service facility, the calling unit may receive service from a sequence of
these. At a given facility, the unit enters one of the parallel service channels and is
completely serviced by that server. Most elementary models assume one service facility
with either one or a finite number of servers.

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The following figure shows the physical layout of service facilities.

Customer's Behavior

Balking: A customer may not like to join the queue due to long waiting line.

Collusion: Several customers may cooperate and only one of them may stand in the

queue.

Jockeying: When there are a number of queues, a customer may move from one queue to
another in hope of receiving the service quickly.

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Server's Behavior

Failure: The service may be interrupted due to failure of a server (machinery).

Changing service rates: A server may speed up or slow down, depending on the number of customers in

the queue. For example, when the queue is long, a server may speed up in
response to the pressure. On the contrary, it may slow down if the queue is very
small.

Batch processing: A server may service several customers simultaneously, a phenomenon known
as batch processing.

Assumptions of the Queuing Model

• The source population has infinite size: The inter-arrival time has an exponential probability
 distribution with a mean arrival rate of l customer arrivals per unit time. 
 • There is no unusual customer behavior. 
• The service discipline is FIFO. 

• The service time has an exponential probability distribution with a mean service rate of m service
 completions per unit time. 
 • The mean arrival rate is less than the mean service rate, i.e., l < m. 
• There is no unusual server behavior. 

The M/M/1 (α/FIFO) system

The first M in the notation stands for Poisson input, second M for Poisson output, 1 for
the number of servers and α for capacity of the system.

It is a queuing model where the arrivals follow a Poisson process, service times are exponentially
distributed and there is only one server. In other words, it is a system with Poisson input, exponential
waiting time and Poisson output with single channel.

Queue capacity of the system is infinite with first in first out mode. The first M in the notation stands for
Poisson input, second M for Poisson output, 1 for the number of servers and for infinite capacity of the
system.

Formulas

Probability of zero unit in the queue (Po ) = 1 -

Average queue length (Lq ) = λ2/μ(μ – λ)

Average number of units in the system (Ls ) = λ/(μ – λ)

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Average waiting time of an arrival (Wq ) = λ/μ(μ – λ)

Average waiting time of an arrival in the system (Ws ) = 1/(μ – λ)

Example 1

Students arrive at the head office of the University with a mean rate of 40 per hour. The time required to
serve a student has an exponential distribution with a mean of 50 per hour. Assume that the students are
served by a single individual, find the average waiting time of a student.

Solution.

Given

λ = 40/hour, μ = 50/hour

Average waiting time of a student before receiving service (Wq ) = 40/50(50-40) = 4.8 minutes

Question One

New Delhi Railway Station has a single ticket counter. During the rush hours, customers arrive at the rate
of 10 per hour. The average number of customers that can be served is 12 per hour. Find out the following:

 • Probability that the ticket counter is free. 

• Average number of customers in the queue. 

Question Two

At Bharat petrol pump, customers arrive according to a Poisson process with an average time of 5 minutes
between arrivals. The service time is exponentially distributed with mean time = 2 minutes. On the basis
of this information, find out

What would be the average queue length?

What would be the average number of customers in the queuing system?

What is the average time spent by a car in the petrol pump?

What is the average waiting time of a car before receiving petrol?

Question Three

Universal Bank is considering opening a drive in window for customer service. Management estimates
that customers will arrive at the rate of 15 per hour. The teller whom it is considering to staff the window
can service

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Question Four

Chhabra Saree Emporium has a single cashier. During the rush hours, customers arrive at the rate of 10
per hour. The average number of customers that can be processed by the cashier is 12 per hour. On the
basis of this information, find the following:

a) Probability that the cashier is idle

b) Average number of customers in the queuing system
c) Average time a customer spends in the system
d) Average number of customers in the queue
e) Average time a customer spends in the queue

The M/M/1 (N/FIFO) system

It is a queuing model where the arrivals follow a Poisson process, service times are exponentially
distributed and there is only one server. Capacity of the system is limited to N with first in first out mode.

The first M in the notation stands for Poisson input, second M for Poisson output, 1 for the number of
servers and N for capacity of the system.

Ρ = λ/μ

Po = (1 – ρ)/(1 – ρN+1)

Ls = ρ/(1-ρ) = [(N + 1)ρN+1]/(1 – ρN+1)

Lq = Ls – λ/μ

Ws = Ls/λ

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Example 1

Students arrive at the head office of according to a Poisson input process with a mean rate of 30 per day.
The time required to serve a student has an exponential distribution with a mean of 36 minutes. Assume
that the students are served by a single individual, and queue capacity is 9. On the basis of this
information, find the following:

a) The probability of zero unit in the queue.

b) The average line length.

Solution

λ = 30/(60 x 24)

= 1/48 students per minute

1−ρ
μ = 1/36 Students per minute --------
1−ρN + 1

ρ = 36/48

= 0.75

N = 9

Po = (1 – 0.75)/(1 – (075)9+1

= 0.26

Ls = [0.75/(1-0.75)] - (9+1)(0.75)9+1/(1-(0.75)9+1

= 2.40 or 2 students

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The M/M/1 (N/FIFO) system

The first M in the notation stands for Poisson input, second M for Poisson output, 1 for
the number of servers and N for capacity of the system. It is a
queuing model where the arrivals follow a Poisson process, service times are exponentially
distributed and there is only one server. Capacity of the system is limited to N
ρ = λ/µ with FIFO
1−ρ
Po = --------
1−ρN + 1

ρ (N + 1)ρN+1
Ls = -------- – -----------
1-ρ 1−ρN + 1

Lq = Ls - λ/µ

Lq
Wq = ----
λ

Ls
Ws = ----
λ

Example 1

Students arrive at the head office of www.universalteacher.com according to a Poisson

input process with a mean rate of 30 per day. The time required to serve a student has an
exponential distribution with a mean of 36 minutes. Assume that the students are served
by a single individual, and queue capacity is 9. On the basis of this information, find the
following:

• The probability of zero unit in the queue.

• The average line length.

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The M/M/C(α/FIFO) system

It is a queuing model where the arrivals follow a Poisson process, service times are
exponentially distributed and there are C servers.

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Example 1

The Silver Spoon Restaurant has only two waiters. Customers arrive according to a Poisson
process with a mean rate of 10 per hour. The service for each customer is exponential with mean
of 4 minutes. On the basis of this information, find the following:

• The probability of having to wait for service.

• The expected percentage of idle time for each waiter.

Solution.

This is an example of M/M/C, where c = 2

λ = 10 per hour or 1/6 per minute.
μ = 1/4 per minute
ρ = 1/3

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The expected percentage of idle time for each waiter.

1 - ρ = 1 - 1/3 = 2/3 = 67%

Question 1

Universal Bank has two tellers working on savings accounts. The first teller handles withdrawals
only. The second teller handles deposits only. It has been found that the service times distributions
for both deposits and withdrawals are exponential with mean service time 2 minutes per customer.
Deposits & withdrawals are found to arrive in a Poisson fashion with mean arrival rate 20 per hour.
What would be the effect on the average waiting time for depositors and withdrawers, if each teller
could handle both withdrawers & depositors?

Question 2.

(a) What do you understand by a queue? Give some important applications of queuing theory.

(b) Explain the basic queuing process

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