Batch size modeling in a multi-item, discrete manufacturing system via an open queuing network

An open Queuing Network Analyzer (QNA) is often used in areas such as communication systems and discrete parts manufacturing systems. It uses the parametric decomposition method to approximately calculate the performance measures. The core of the method involves solving two systems of linear equations to calculate the first two moments of the effective arrival rate and service time. In this paper, we consider the effects of batch size on the parametric decomposition procedure of the QNA and modify the two sets of linear equations accordingly. The concept of a relative batch size is proposed for the purpose of modeling the effects of batch size. Experimental results are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.