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Queuing Theory Articles

Queueing Theory is is the mathematical study of waiting lines, or queues. Queueing Theory enables mathematical analysis of several related processes, including the following:

On average, how many will arrive at the (back of the line) queue?
On average, how long will one wait in the queue?
On average, how long will one wait until being served at the front of the queue?

Below are several posts on Queueing Theory. I’ll be adding to this page periodically — applications, best practices, and general items:

CyberMonday: Avoid the Lines

by Pete Abilla on November 29, 2010

Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn For those who study the theory of lines and queues, holiday shopping (next to airport dynamics) is a time full of learning opportunities: a real-world lab to study and learn how people respond and behave within the dynamics of lines. But, this Black [...]

Black Friday After Thanksgiving Day Sale

by Pete Abilla on November 26, 2010

Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn In the United States, Thanksgiving Holiday is always on the last Thursday of November. The Friday immediately after Thanksgiving is traditionally called Black Friday (I have no idea why they call this day “Black Friday”). Black Friday is usually the biggest shopping day [...]

Waiting Line Management: Costs and Service Level

by Pete Abilla on November 18, 2010

Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn This article looks at the tradeoff between Service Level and Costs, within the context of Waiting Line Management. Before we begin, let me present two common assumptions: Quicker is always better Quicker service cost more than slow service But, are those assumptions true? [...]

Crowd Control, Queueing, and Violence

by Pete Abilla on November 15, 2010

Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn There are many crowd related disasters and crowd related violence throughout history. Here is just one story: Jan 14th 2010 – HARIDWAR, 6 dead, 12 injured. India: Hundreds of thousands of bathed in the icy waters of the Ganges river yesterday as a [...]

Averages Do Not Describe Individual Experience

by Pete Abilla on October 13, 2010

Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Most organizations use the average or the mean for their metrics. This is common, convenient, and easy. But, the average doesn’t describe the experience of the individual customer. Suppose you run a call center or contact center. Assume the following measures for Average [...]