A Simulation-Optimization Approach for Optimizing Service Provision of Multi-service Queues

  • Simon Anthony Lorenzo Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
  • Pierre Allan Villena Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
  • Angelo Ani Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Laguna, Philippines
  • Ven-Rem Bill Pasion Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Laguna, Philippines

Abstract

Abstract – Queueing systems in the real world can involve multiple types of services provided, such as doctors with different specializations in hospitals, highway toll booths handling cash or RFID payment, and the provision of several fuels in various dispensers in gasoline stations. These types of queues diverge from the common queue types in queueing theory, where it is assumed that only one service type is provided. This study investigates the scenario where a queueing system is to be designed to optimize the system performance with respect to relevant metrics, in particular, the average sojourn time of all customers that entered the system. Specifically, the study tackles the problem of determining which services to offer in a queueing system with a fixed number of servers and a fixed service capacity (i.e. number of services provided) per server. In order to provide a mathematically tractable solution, the combinatorial optimization problem is formulated as an integer program that is solved using the Particle Swarm metaheuristic. Results show improvements of up to 6.9342% in the identified performance upon the implementation of the optimal configuration of the queueing system. Sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of the methodology for varying mean values of the arrival distribution, allowing for a wider range of applicability in the real world.



Keywords: queueing optimization, multi-service queues, discrete-events simulation

Published
2025-08-12
How to Cite
LORENZO, Simon Anthony et al. A Simulation-Optimization Approach for Optimizing Service Provision of Multi-service Queues. Philippine Engineering Journal, [S.l.], v. 46, n. 01, aug. 2025. ISSN 2718-9287. Available at: <https://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pej/article/view/10762>. Date accessed: 31 aug. 2025.
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol 46 No 01 (2025)
Section
Articles