Quantitative Analysis for Management, 13/e

12.8 More Complex Queuing Models and the Use of Simulation

Many practical waiting line problems that occur in production and operations service systems have characteristics like those of Arnold’s Muffler Shop, Garcia-Golding Recycling Inc., and the Department of Commerce. This is true when the situation calls for single- or multichannel waiting lines, with Poisson arrivals and exponential or constant service times, an infinite calling population, and FIFO service.

Often, however, variations of this specific case are present in an analysis. Service times in an automobile repair shop, for example, tend to follow the normal probability distribution instead of the exponential. A college registration system in which seniors have first choice of courses ...