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Allocating flexible servers in serial systems with switching costs

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  • Maria Mayorga
  • Kevin Taaffe
  • Ramesh Arumugam

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. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Mayorga & Kevin Taaffe & Ramesh Arumugam, 2009. "Allocating flexible servers in serial systems with switching costs," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 231-242, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:172:y:2009:i:1:p:231-242:10.1007/s10479-009-0575-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10479-009-0575-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Batta, Rajan & Berman, Oded & Wang, Qian, 2007. "Balancing staffing and switching costs in a service center with flexible servers," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(2), pages 924-938, March.
    2. M. Yu. Kitaev & Richard F. Serfozo, 1999. "M/M/1 Queues with Switching Costs and Hysteretic Optimal Control," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 310-312, April.
    3. Seyed M. R. Iravani & John A. Buzacott & Morton J. M. Posner, 2003. "Operations and Shipment Scheduling of a Batch on a Felxible Machine," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 51(4), pages 585-601, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria E. Mayorga & Emmett J. Lodree & Justin Wolczynski, 2017. "The optimal assignment of spontaneous volunteers," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(9), pages 1106-1116, September.
    2. Nha-Nghi Cruz & Hans Daduna, 2019. "Optimal capacity allocation in a production–inventory system with base stock," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 277(2), pages 329-344, June.
    3. Tuğçe Işık & Sigrún Andradóttir & Hayriye Ayhan, 2016. "Optimal control of queueing systems with non-collaborating servers," Queueing Systems: Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 84(1), pages 79-110, October.
    4. Emmett J. Lodree & Nezih Altay & Robert A. Cook, 2019. "Staff assignment policies for a mass casualty event queuing network," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 283(1), pages 411-442, December.
    5. Tuğçe Işık & Sigrún Andradóttir & Hayriye Ayhan, 2022. "Dynamic Control of Non‐Collaborative Workers When Reassignment Is Costly," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(3), pages 1332-1352, March.

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