Waiting Line Management Ross L. Fink
Example of Waiting Lines All organizations, both manufacturing and service, have some type of waiting line
Why Do Lines Form? Limited resources--short term Cultural
Waiting Line Costs Cost of service Cost of waiting
Characteristics of Waiting Lines Population Source Finite Infinite Arrivals Pattern Controllable Uncontrollable
Characteristics of Waiting Lines Size of arrivals single batch Distribution of arrival rate Poisson Erlang Degree of patience Patient Impatient
Characteristics of Waiting Lines Length Infinite Limited capacity Number Single Multiple
Characteristics of Waiting Lines Queue discipline First come, first served Reservations first Emergency needs Others
Characteristics of Waiting Lines Service facility Distribution of service time Constant Exponential Erlang Channels Phases
Solution Methods Queuing Theory Simulation
Implications of Service Rate v. Arrival Rate Queuing models are only derived for the situation where service rate is greater than arrival rate (see formulas) If arrival rate greater than service rate--lines approach infinite length over time
Hints for Using Queuing Formulas Make sure that is service rate (units per time, e.g., customers per hour) that is arrival rate that is greater than and are in the same time units Understand that system is composed of line and service