Queuing Systems with Jockeying: Approaches to Performance Evaluation in a Case Study of a Supermarket

Authors

  • José Gilberto S. Rinaldi São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Technology and Sciences, Presidente Prudente, Brazil
  • Reinaldo Morabito Production Engineering Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil.
  • Ana P. Iannoni Production Engineering Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil.

Keywords:

Jockeying in Queuing Systems, Queuing Models, Discrete Simulation, Performance Evaluation, Case Study, Supermarkets.

Abstract

The waiting time experienced by users in queues is regarded as a critical factor across various business sectors. More recently, face-to-face waiting in certain queuing systems has been identified as a potential health risk due to the possibility of transmitting respiratory infectious diseases, with longer waits correlating to increased risk. User behaviour in parallel queuing systems significantly influences the analysis of such systems. For instance, depending on queue lengths or waiting times, users may switch queues or fail to maintain appropriate distancing, a behaviour commonly observed in supermarkets. This study evaluates the application of both an analytical queuing model and an experimental discrete simulation model to represent systems that permit users to switch queues in order to reduce their waiting times. The models were applied in a case study involving checkout queues at a Brazilian supermarket. The results demonstrated that both models are effective and accurate in assessing performance metrics. The analytical queuing model estimated queuing times with the smallest deviation from the observed data, while the discrete simulation model performed comparably well, achieving nearly the same level of accuracy. A key finding of this study is that excluding queue-switching behaviour (jockeying) leads to a marked deterioration in system performance metrics.

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Published

2025-01-21