Queueing Theory 2

2Queueing Models in Services – Analytical and Simulation Approach

Srinivas R. CHAKRAVARTHY

Departments of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering & Mathematics,Kettering University, Flint, MI, USA

Queueing models play a significant role in many walks of life. In this chapter, we will focus on a few selected queueing models that are useful in service sectors. While the literature on queueing models is vast and filled with a variety of applications, the number of models with implementable and useful results needs to be increased. In this chapter, we will use both analytical and simulation approaches to discuss a few selected models that are useful in practice as well as to point out the significant role played by the correlated arrivals. Correlated arrivals occur naturally in service sectors due to the fact that customers/jobs arrive from different sources. We also report some interesting observations based on the analytical models of some well-known queueing models. We believe that some of these, especially the ones dealing with the busy period and the distribution functions of the sojourn times, are not reported in the literature and are very useful for managerial decision-making in service sectors.

2.1. Introduction

On a day-to-day basis we come across items that have either manufacturing aspects or service aspects or both. Manufacturing and service industries invariably use queueing models in one form or another to identify ways of increasing productivity, as well as to optimize ...