Article ID: | iaor20063690 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 52 |
Issue: | 5 |
Start Page Number: | 399 |
End Page Number: | 408 |
Publication Date: | Aug 2005 |
Journal: | Naval Research Logistics |
Authors: | Kim Sunkyo |
Keywords: | queueing networks |
In this paper, we present the heavy-traffic bottleneck phenomenon under multiclass deterministic routing and discuss how it can be addressed by decomposition approximation. Examples show that Bitran and Tirupati's method and Whitt's enhancements for deterministic routing may not properly account for this phenomenon. We propose refinements to these methods based on Whitt's variability functions. Results of numerical experiments on simple networks and semiconductor manufacturing process show significant improvement in the approximation of expected waiting time at bottleneck stations.