Operations Methods: Waiting Line Applications

by Ken Shaw

This book will help business practitioners and students expand their knowledge of how waiting line analysis can be used to address situations beyond the simple examples they were presented in basic operations courses. Throughout the book, practical examples are given and worked out to aid in understanding the material presented. Some emphasis is given to the caveats in applying waiting line theory and the importance of being aware of the assumptions used in developing that theory. The first chapters begin with a review of those simple examples and the terminology used for waiting line processes. And the following chapters cover more complex concepts related to multiple server situations, less common arrival and service distributions, limited population applications commonly used for maintenance activities, cost trade-offs between adding service capacity versus process improvements, and manufacturing applications. The final chapters deal with the important topic that waiting line theory only predicts average performance, not the variability around that average. To gain knowledge about variability for evaluation of best and worst-case scenarios, the use of simulation is required. Finally, readers are introduced to how simulation using Excel tools can be set up for several waiting situations. Sample programs are provided that can be modified to address particular situations.

175 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2011

Reviews

[Donn Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to admit I didn't read this book the whole way through. It was a library book and I didn't manage to complete before it was due. My rating's based on the first half of the book.

I did have some background in queueing theory, so the material wasn't entirely new. But my background was rather superficial, and this book expanded a lot of my thinking in this space. It's written in a very accessible manner, and though I was a little put off at the mathematics at first, it's important if you ever want to apply so I can't fault it.

On a personal note, I'm actually really glad that I borrowed this book because based on just the material found in the first few chapters I was able to think far more in-depth into a queueing problem at work, and managed to give quite a bit of (good) input.