Quality control of the M/G/1 queue

In this paper, the authors provide a conceptual framework for quality control in (queueing) manufacturing facilities. Specific results relating to the M/G/1 queue are derived. Two cases are distinguished: open-loop and closed-loop quality control. The open-loop quality control is an off-line inspection procedure, while the closed-loop quality control is an on-line and state dependent (such as the queue length) inspection procedure. For both cases, numerical examples are treated which highlight the mutual dependence of quality and quantity related issues in the design of unreliable production systems.