Skip to main content
Log in

Allocating flexible servers in serial systems with switching costs

  • Published:
Annals of Operations Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

Consider a firm that operates a make-to-order serial production system and employs a cross-trained workforce. We model such a firm as a tandem queuing system in which flexible servers can be allocated across stations, and assume that a switching cost is charged when servers move between stations. We show that even in the two-station two-server case the optimal policy follows a complex state-dependent structure that may be difficult to implement in practice. We propose three alternate heuristic policies and assess their performance. We show that a simpler policy which only moves one server can achieve close to optimal results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahn, H. S., Duenyas, I., & Zhang, R. (1999). Optimal stochastic scheduling of a two-stage tandem queue with parallel servers. Advances in Applied Probability, 31, 1095–1117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahn, H. S., Duenyas, I., & Lewis, M. E. (2002). Optimal control of a two-stage tandem queueing with flexible servers. Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences, 16, 453–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arumugam, R., Mayorga, M. E., & Taaffe, K. M. Inventory based allocation policies for flexible servers in serial systems. Annals of Operations Research, In Press, 2008.

  • Batta, R., Berman, O., & Wang, Q. (2007). Balancing staffing and switching costs in a service center with flexible servers. European Journal of Operations Research, 177, 924–938.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertsekas, D. P. (2001). Dynamic programming and optimal control, Vol. 2 (2nd edn.). Nashua: Athena Scientific. (p. 263).

    Google Scholar 

  • Glazebrook, K. D. (1980). On stochastic scheduling with precedence relations and switching costs. Journal of Applied Probability, 17(4), 1016–1024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iravani, S. M. R., Posner, M. J. M., & Buzacott, J. A. (1997). A two-stage tandem queue attended by a moving server with holding and switching costs. Queueing Systems, 26, 203–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iravani, S. M. R., Buzacott, J. A., & Posner, M. J. M. (2003). Operations and shipment scheduling of a batch on a flexible machine. Operations Research, 51(4), 585–601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitaev, M. Yu., & Serfozo, R. F. (1999). M/m/1 queues with switching costs and hysteretic optimal control. Operations Research, 47(2), 310–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koole, G. (1997). Assigning a single server to inhomogeneous queues with switching costs. Theoretical Computer Science, 182, 203–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lippman, S. A. (1975). Applying a new device in the optimization of exponential queueing systems. Operations Research, 23(4), 687–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oyen, M. P., & Teneketzis, D. (1992). Optimal stochastic scheduling of forest networks with switching penalties. In: Proceedings of the 31st conference on decision and control (pp. 3328–3333), December 1992.

  • Oyen, V., Pandelis, D. G., & Teneketzis, D. (1992). Optimality of index policies for stochastic scheduling with switching penalties. Journal of Applied Probability, 29(4), 957–966.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria E. Mayorga.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mayorga, M.E., Taaffe, K.M. & Arumugam, R. Allocating flexible servers in serial systems with switching costs. Ann Oper Res 172, 231–242 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-009-0575-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-009-0575-7

Keywords

Navigation