Lecture 3
Problem-solving tools: random servicing
INDE 320: Work Measurement and Methods Engineering
Dr. Nadine Moacdieh
Adapted from Freivalds & Niebel (2013)
Chapter 2
Method improvement tools
• Optimize the worker-machine relationships:
– Synchronous servicing
– Random servicing
– Complex relationships
– Line balancing
Random servicing
• Not known exactly when a facility needs to be
serviced or how long servicing takes
Machine Machine Machine Machine
1 2 3 4
Each one down with a probability p
Random servicing
• Not known exactly when a facility needs to be
serviced or how long servicing takes
• Use binomial expansion to calculate probability of
0, 1, 2, 3, . . ., n machines down (n relatively small)
– p: probability of downtime
– q = 1 – p: probability of runtime
Random servicing
• Use probability of downtime to determine the
hours lost in a certain workday
# machines down
Probability Machine hours lost per workday
(k)
0 p(k=0) (Machines idle 0)*p(1)*(working hours)
1 p(k=1) (Machines idle 1)*p(2)*(working hours)
… … …
n p(k=n) (Machines idle n)*p(n)*(working hours)
Random servicing
• How to determine optimal worker-machine
relationship: total expected cost per piece for a
given arrangement
Example 4
Example 4
Example 5
Example 5