This paper cautions against using only the equilibrium distribution to describe the behavior of a queue. It is suggested that fluctuations in the queue-length process should also be described, for example, by various first-passage-time distributions. The range of possible fluctuations associated...

S. L. Albin has described extensive simulations of queue behavior for a system with a single server and an arrival process that is a superposition of n renewal processes. The simulations show, among other things, that as n increases for a fixed traffic intensity \rho, the queue behavior...

The stationary distributions of the waiting time and number in the system are obtained for a variant of an M/M/2 queue in which non-waiting customers receive a different rate of service from those who must wait in line. Characteristics of the solution, and applications of the model are...

The adoption of management science models has typically been studied in time frames of less than two years. Recommendations of government decisionmakers for improving the likelihood of successful model development, diffusion, and adoption have been based on these studies. Yet some factors...

This paper presents a model for the study of operations at an inbound call center. The call center is modeled as a multiclass processor shared loss system, where the interacting effects of human, telecommunication, and information technology resources are explicitly incorporated. Product form...

Simulation is used to evaluate a number of server assignment prodecures within a system of parallel queues. There are less servers than parallel single-channel service facilities and server transfer between facilities is allowed. Server transfer involves a deterministic time delay. Job...

We propose using a modification of the simple peak hour approximation (SPHA) for estimating peak congestion in multiserver queueing systems with exponential service times and time-varying periodic Poisson arrivals. This lagged pointwise stationary approximation (lagged PSA) is obtained by first...

This paper develops two distinct models for studying inventory systems with continuous production and perishable items. The perishable items have a deterministic usable life after which they must be outdated. For each of the models, analytical expressions derived from queueing theory, are found...

Call centers usually handle several types of calls, but it is usually not possible or cost effective to have every agent be able to handle every type of call. Thus, the agents tend to have different skills, in different combinations. In such an environment, it is challenging to route calls...

In a recent paper we introduced the queue-and-idleness ratio (QIR) family of routing rules for many-server service systems with multiple customer classes and server pools. A newly available server serves the customer from the head of the queue of the class (from among those the server is...