Operations Methods: Waiting Line Applications

If you are a business practitioner or business student and want to expand
your knowledge of waiting line (queuing) analysis and how it can be used
to make decisions and improve both service and manufacturing business
situations, this book is for you. Inside, you’ll learn about caveats when applying
waiting line theory and how to be aware of the assumptions used
in developing that theory.
Accounting for variability in waiting line processes is important because
the basic queuing equations provide only average performance data under
steady-state conditions. Understanding how much variability can exist for
a given waiting line scenario can provide you with the insight required to
reduce these effects and develop innovative solutions for improving service
while reducing operating costs.
In general the mathematical tone of the book is focused on the application,
not the derivation, of the formulas presented. The few derivation exceptions
are done to illustrate some approaches not commonly discussed
in textbooks (e.g., the use of state diagrams and random number approximations
of the probability distributions for use in simple simulation models).
To aid in understanding the material presented, some practical examples
are given at appropriate points in the text and a few simulation
approaches using common spreadsheet software are described.