
Concept explainers
A priority waiting system assigns arriving customers to one of four classes. Arrival rates (Poisson) of the classes are shown in the following table. Five servers process the customers, and each can handle three customers per hour.
a. What is the system utilization?
b. What is the average wait for service by customers in the various classes? How many are waiting in each class, on average?
c. If the arrival rate of the second priority class could be reduced to three units per hour by shifting some arrivals into the third priority class, how would your answers to part b change?
d. What observations can you make based on your answers to part c?
a)

To determine: System utilization rate.
Introduction: Poisson distribution is utilized to ascertain the probability of an occasion happening over a specific time period or interval. The interval can be one of time, zone, volume or separation. The probability of an event happening is discovered utilizing the equation in the Poisson distribution.
Answer to Problem 16P
Explanation of Solution
Given Information:
It is given that the processing time is 3 customers per hour and there are 5 servers to process the customers.
Class | Arrivals per Hour |
1 | 2 |
2 | 4 |
3 | 3 |
4 | 2 |
Calculate the system utilization:
It is calculated by adding all the total customer hours for each class and the result is divided with number of servers and customer process per hour.
ρ=[λ1+λ2+λ3+λ4Mμ]=[2+4+3+25×3]=[11 per hour15]=0.7333 per hour
Here,
ρ = system utilization rate
λ1 = total customer arrival rate for class 1
λ2 = total customer arrival rate for class 2
λ3 = total customer arrival rate for class 3
λ4 = total customer arrival rate for class 4
μ = customer service process rate per hour
M = number of servers
Hence the system utilization is 0.7333.
b)

To determine: The average customer waiting for service for each class and waiting in each class on average.
Answer to Problem 16P
Explanation of Solution
Given Information:
It is given that the processing time is 3 customers per hour and there are 5 servers to process the customers.
Class | Arrivals per Hour |
1 | 2 |
2 | 4 |
3 | 3 |
4 | 2 |
Calculate the average number of customers:
It is calculated by dividing the total customers arrive per hour with customer process per hour.
r=[λμ]=[113]=3.6667
Here,
r = average number of customers
λ= total customer arrival rate
μ = customer service process rate per hour
Calculate average number of customers waiting for service (Lq) using infinite-source table values for μ= 3.6667 and M = 5
The Lq values for μ= 3.6667 and M = 5 is 1.1904
Calculate A using Formula 18-16 from book:
It is calculated by subtracting 1 minus system utilization rate and multiplying the result with Lq, the whole result is divided by total customer arrival rate.
A=[λ1+λ2+λ3+λ4(1−ρ)Lq]=[2+4+3+2(1−0.7333)×1.1904]=[110.2667×1.1904]=[110.31744]=34.6522
Here,
Lq = average number of customers waiting for service
λ1 = total customer arrival rate for class 1
λ2 = total customer arrival rate for class 2
λ3 = total customer arrival rate for class 3
λ4 = total customer arrival rate for class 4
ρ = system utilization rate
Calculate B using Formula 18-17 from book for each category
It is calculated by multiplying number of servers with customer service process rate per hour and the result is divided by total customer arrival rate for each category.
B0=1B1=[1−(λ1Mμ)]=[1−(25×3)]=[1−(215)]=[1−0.1333]=0.8667
B2=[1−(λ1+λ2Mμ)]=[1−(2+45×3)]=[1−(615)]=[1−0.4000]=0.6000
B3=[1−(λ1+λ2+λ3Mμ)]=[1−(2+4+35×3)]=[1−(915)]=[1−0.6000]=0.4000
B4=[1−(λ1+λ2+λ3+λ4Mμ)]=[1−(2+4+3+25×3)]=[1−(1115)]=[1−0.7333]=0.2667
Here,
λ1= total customer arrival rate for class 1
λ2= total customer arrival rate for class 2
λ3= total customer arrival rate for class 3
λ4= total customer arrival rate for class 4
μ = customer service process rate per hour
M = number of servers
B1= total customer arrival rate for class 1
B2= total customer arrival rate for class 2
B3= total customer arrival rate for class 1
B4= total customer arrival rate for class 2
Calculate the average waiting time for class 1 and class 2
It is calculated by multiplying A with B0 and B1, the result is divided by 1.
W1=[1A×B0×B1]=[134.6522×1×0.8667]=[130.0319]=0.033298 or 0.0333 hours
W2=[1A×B1×B2]=[134.6522×0.8667×0.6]=[118.0192]=0.055497 or 0.0555 hours
W3=[1A×B2×B3]=[134.6522×0.6×0.4]=[18.3165]=0.120242 or 0.1202 hours
W4=[1A×B3×B4]=[134.6522×0.4×0.2667]=[13.6962]=0.270545 or 0.2705 hours
Calculate the average number of customers that are waiting for service for class 1 and class 2:
It is calculated by multiplying total customer arrival rate with average waiting time for units in each category.
L1=[W1×λ1]=[0.033298×2]=0.066596 or 0.0666 customers
L2=[W2×λ2]=[0.055497×4]=0.221986 or 0.2220 customers
L3=[W3×λ3]=[0.120242×3]=0.360727 or 0.3607 customers
L4=[W4×λ4]=[0.270545×2]=0.541091 or 0.5411 customers
Excel Spreadsheet:
Excel Workings:
Hence the average wait time for service by customers for class 1 is 0.0333 hours, class 2 is 0.0555 hours, class 3 is 0.1202 hours and class 4 is 0.2705 hours. The waiting in each class on average for class 1 is 0.0666 customers, class 2 is 0.2220 customers, class 3 is 0.3607 customers and class 4 is 0.5411 customers.
c)

To determine: The average customer waiting for service for each class and waiting in each class on average.
Answer to Problem 16P
Explanation of Solution
Given Information:
It is given that the processing time is 3 customers per hour and there are 5 servers to process the customers. The second priority class is reduced to 3 units per hour by shifting some into the third party class. The arrival rate is as follows,
Class | Arrivals per Hour |
1 | 2 |
2 | 3 |
3 | 4 |
4 | 2 |
Calculate the average number of customers
It is calculated by dividing the total customers arrive per hour with customer process per hour.
r=[λμ]=[113]=3.6667
Here,
r = average number of customers
λ= total customer arrival rate
μ = customer service process rate per hour
Calculate average number of customers waiting for service (Lq) using infinite-source table values for μ= 3.6667 and M = 5
The Lq values for μ= 3.6667 and M = 5 is 1.1904
Calculate A using Formula 18-16 from book:
It is calculated by subtracting 1 minus system utilization rate and multiplying the result with Lq, the whole result is divided by total customer arrival rate.
A=[λ1+λ2+λ3+λ4(1−ρ)Lq]=[2+3+4+2(1−0.7333)×1.1904]=[110.2667×1.1904]=[110.31744]=34.6522
Here,
Lq = average number of customers waiting for service
λ1 = total customer arrival rate for class 1
λ2 = total customer arrival rate for class 2
λ3 = total customer arrival rate for class 3
λ4 = total customer arrival rate for class 4
ρ = system utilization rate
Calculate B using Formula 18-17 from book for each category
It is calculated by multiplying number of servers with customer service process rate per hour and the result is divided by total customer arrival rate for each category.
B0=1B1=[1−(λ1Mμ)]=[1−(25×3)]=[1−(215)]=[1−0.1333]=0.8667
B2=[1−(λ1+λ2Mμ)]=[1−(2+35×3)]=[1−(515)]=[1−0.3333]=0.6667
B3=[1−(λ1+λ2+λ3Mμ)]=[1−(2+3+45×3)]=[1−(915)]=[1−0.6000]=0.4000
B4=[1−(λ1+λ2+λ3+λ4Mμ)]=[1−(2+3+4+25×3)]=[1−(1115)]=[1−0.7333]=0.2667
Here,
λ1= total customer arrival rate for class 1
λ2= total customer arrival rate for class 2
λ3= total customer arrival rate for class 3
λ4= total customer arrival rate for class 4
μ = customer service process rate per hour
M = number of servers
B1= total customer arrival rate for class 1
B2= total customer arrival rate for class 2
B3= total customer arrival rate for class 1
B4= total customer arrival rate for class 2
Calculate the average waiting time for class 1 and class 2
It is calculated by multiplying A with B0 and B1, the result is divided by 1.
W1=[1A×B0×B1]=[134.6522×1×0.8667]=[130.0319]=0.033298 or 0.0333 hours
W2=[1A×B1×B2]=[134.6522×0.8667×0.6667]=[120.0213]=0.049947 or 0.0499 hours
W3=[1A×B2×B3]=[134.6522×0.6667×0.4]=[19.2406]=0.108218 or 0.1082 hours
W4=[1A×B3×B4]=[134.6522×0.4×0.2667]=[13.6962]=0.270545 or 0.2705 hours
Calculate the average number of customers that are waiting for service for class 1 and class 2:
It is calculated by multiplying total customer arrival rate with average waiting time for units in each category.
L1=[W1×λ1]=[0.033298×2]=0.066596 or 0.0666 customers
L2=[W2×λ2]=[0.049947×3]=0.149841 or 0.1498 customers
L3=[W3×λ3]=[0.120242×4]=0.432873 or 0.4329 customers
L4=[W4×λ4]=[0.270545×2]=0.541091 or 0.5411 customers
Excel Spreadsheet:
Excel Workings:
Hence the average wait time for service by customers for class 1 is 0.0333 hours, class 2 is 0.0499 hours, class 3 is 0.1082 hours and class 4 is 0.2705 hours. The waiting in each class on average for class 1 is 0.0666 customers, class 2 is 0.1498 customers, class 3 is 0.4329 customers and class 4 is 0.5411 customers.
d)

To determine: The observations based on the results from part c.
Answer to Problem 16P
Explanation of Solution
Calculate the change in average wait time for each class.
It is calculated by subtracting the final answer for average wait time for service by customers from part b with the final answer for average wait time for service by customers from part c.
Change in Average TimeClass 1=[0.3333−0.3333]=0 hours
Change in Average TimeClass 2=[0.0555−0.0499]=0.0056 hours
Change in Average TimeClass 3=[0.1202−0.1082]=0.0120 hours
Change in Average TimeClass 3=[0.2705−0.2705]=0 hours
The above results suggest that there is a decrease in average wait time for class 2 and class 3. Class 1 and 4 remains constant.
Calculate the change in average number waiting for each class.
It is calculated by subtracting the final answer for waiting on average from part b with the final answer for waiting on average from part c.
Change in Average WaitingClass 1=[0.3333−0.3333]=0 customers
Change in Average TimeClass 2=[0.2220−0.1498]=0.0722 customers
Change in Average TimeClass 3=[0.4329−0.3607]=0.0722 customers
Change in Average TimeClass 4=[0.5411−0.5411]=0 customers
The above results suggest that there is a decrease in average waiting for class 2 and an increase in class 3. Class 1 and 4 remains constant.
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Chapter 18 Solutions
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