Optimal Dynamic Operating Policies for a Tandem Queueing Service System

This paper considers the problem of determining an optimal dynamic operating policy for a two-stage tandem queueing service system in which the service facilities (or stages) can be operated at more than one service rate. At each period of the system's operation, the system manager must specify which of the available service rates is to be employed at each stage. The cost structure includes an operating cost for running each stage and a service facility profit earned when a service completion occurs at Stage 2. We assume that the system has a finite waiting capacity in front of each station and each customer requires two services which must be done in sequence, that is, customers must pass through Stage 1 and Stage 2 in that order. Processing must be in the order of arrival at each station. The objective is to minimize the total discounted expected cost in a two-stage tandem queueing service system, which we formulate as a Discrete-Time Markov Decision Process. We present analytical and numerical results that specify the form of the optimal dynamic operating policy for a two-stage tandem queueing service system.