IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v53y2007i3p408-420.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Obtaining Fast Service in a Queueing System via Performance-Based Allocation of Demand

Author

Listed:
  • Gérard P. Cachon

    (Operations and Information Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104)

  • Fuqiang Zhang

    (Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3125)

Abstract

Any buyer that depends on suppliers for the delivery of a service or the production of a make-to-order component should pay close attention to the suppliers' service or delivery lead times. This paper studies a queueing model in which two strategic servers choose their capacities/processing rates and faster service is costly. The buyer allocates demand to the servers based on their performance; the faster a server works, the more demand the server is allocated. The buyer's objective is to minimize the average lead time received from the servers. There are two important attributes to consider in the design of an allocation policy: the degree to which the allocation policy effectively utilizes the servers' capacities and the strength of the incentives the allocation policy provides for the servers to work quickly. Previous research suggests that there exists a trade-off between efficiency and incentives, i.e., in the choice between two allocation policies a buyer may prefer the less efficient one because it provides stronger incentives. We find considerable variation in the performance of allocation policies: Some intuitively reasonable policies generate essentially no competition among servers to work quickly, whereas others generate too much competition, thereby causing some servers to refuse to work with the buyer. Nevertheless, the trade-off between efficiency and incentives need not exist: It is possible to design an allocation policy that is efficient and also induces the servers to work quickly. We conclude that performance-based allocation can be an effective procurement strategy for a buyer as long as the buyer explicitly accounts for the servers' strategic behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Gérard P. Cachon & Fuqiang Zhang, 2007. "Obtaining Fast Service in a Queueing System via Performance-Based Allocation of Demand," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(3), pages 408-420, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:53:y:2007:i:3:p:408-420
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1060.0636
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0636
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0636?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sedarage, Dayani & Fujiwara, Okitsugu & Trung Luong, Huynh, 1999. "Determining optimal order splitting and reorder level for N-supplier inventory systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 389-404, July.
    2. Gérard P. Cachon & Martin A. Lariviere, 1999. "Capacity Allocation Using Past Sales: When to Turn-and-Earn," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(5), pages 685-703, May.
    3. Minner, Stefan, 2003. "Multiple-supplier inventory models in supply chain management: A review," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 265-279, January.
    4. Naor, P, 1969. "The Regulation of Queue Size by Levying Tolls," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 37(1), pages 15-24, January.
    5. Kut C. So, 2000. "Price and Time Competition for Service Delivery," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 2(4), pages 392-409, April.
    6. Ravi Anupindi & Ram Akella, 1993. "Diversification Under Supply Uncertainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(8), pages 944-963, August.
    7. Ehud Kalai & Morton I. Kamien & Michael Rubinovitch, 1992. "Optimal Service Speeds in a Competitive Environment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(8), pages 1154-1163, August.
    8. Gérard P. Cachon & Paul H. Zipkin, 1999. "Competitive and Cooperative Inventory Policies in a Two-Stage Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(7), pages 936-953, July.
    9. Chung-Lun Li & Panos Kouvelis, 1999. "Flexible and Risk-Sharing Supply Contracts Under Price Uncertainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(10), pages 1378-1398, October.
    10. Jewel S. Bonser & S. David Wu, 2001. "Procurement Planning to Maintain Both Short-Term Adaptiveness and Long-Term Perspective," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(6), pages 769-786, June.
    11. Colin E. Bell & Shaler Stidham, Jr., 1983. "Individual versus Social Optimization in the Allocation of Customers to Alternative Servers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(7), pages 831-839, July.
    12. Phillip J. Lederer & Lode Li, 1997. "Pricing, Production, Scheduling, and Delivery-Time Competition," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 45(3), pages 407-420, June.
    13. Stephen M. Gilbert & Z. Kevin Weng, 1998. "Incentive Effects Favor Nonconsolidating Queues in a Service System: The Principal--Agent Perspective," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(12-Part-1), pages 1662-1669, December.
    14. Jérémie Gallien & Lawrence M. Wein, 2005. "A Smart Market for Industrial Procurement with Capacity Constraints," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(1), pages 76-91, January.
    15. Gérard P. Cachon & Patrick T. Harker, 2002. "Competition and Outsourcing with Scale Economies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(10), pages 1314-1333, October.
    16. Talluri, Srinivas, 2002. "A buyer-seller game model for selection and negotiation of purchasing bids," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 171-180, November.
    17. James J. Anton & Dennis A. Yao, 1992. "Coordination in Split Award Auctions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 681-707.
    18. Sudhindra Seshadri, 1995. "Bidding for Contests," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(4), pages 561-576, April.
    19. Albert Y. Ha & Lode Li & Shu-Ming Ng, 2003. "Price and Delivery Logistics Competition in a Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(9), pages 1139-1153, September.
    20. Sudhindra Seshadri & Kalyan Chatterjee & Gary L. Lilien, 1991. "Multiple Source Procurement Competitions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 246-263.
    21. Jinfa Chen & David D. Yao & Shaohui Zheng, 2001. "Optimal Replenishment and Rework with Multiple Unreliable Supply Sources," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(3), pages 430-443, June.
    22. Gérard P. Cachon & Martin A. Lariviere, 1999. "Capacity Choice and Allocation: Strategic Behavior and Supply Chain Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(8), pages 1091-1108, August.
    23. Lode Li, 1992. "The Role of Inventory in Delivery-Time Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(2), pages 182-197, February.
    24. Duane Christ & Benjamin Avi-Itzhak, 2002. "Strategic Equilibrium for a Pair of Competing Servers with Convex Cost and Balking," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(6), pages 813-820, June.
    25. Gérard P. Cachon & Fuqiang Zhang, 2006. "Procuring Fast Delivery: Sole Sourcing with Information Asymmetry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(6), pages 881-896, June.
    26. Saif Benjaafar & Ehsan Elahi & Karen L. Donohue, 2007. "Outsourcing via Service Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(2), pages 241-259, February.
    27. Fernando Bernstein & Gregory A. DeCroix, 2004. "Decentralized Pricing and Capacity Decisions in a Multitier System with Modular Assembly," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(9), pages 1293-1308, September.
    28. Mor Armony & Erica L. Plambeck, 2005. "The Impact of Duplicate Orders on Demand Estimation and Capacity Investment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(10), pages 1505-1518, October.
    29. Yunzeng Wang & Yigal Gerchak, 2003. "Capacity Games in Assembly Systems with Uncertain Demand," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 252-267, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gérard P. Cachon & Fuqiang Zhang, 2006. "Procuring Fast Delivery: Sole Sourcing with Information Asymmetry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(6), pages 881-896, June.
    2. Jain, Tarun & Hazra, Jishnu, 2017. "Dual sourcing under suppliers' capacity investments," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(PA), pages 103-115.
    3. Li Li & Li Jiang & Liming Liu, 2012. "Service and Price Competition When Customers Are Naive," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 21(4), pages 747-760, July.
    4. Deligiannis, Michalis & Liberopoulos, George & Benioudakis, Myron, 2023. "Dynamic supplier competition and cooperation for buyer loyalty on service," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    5. Tamer Boyaci & Saibal Ray, 2003. "Product Differentiation and Capacity Cost Interaction in Time and Price Sensitive Markets," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 18-36, May.
    6. James Ang & Masao Fukushima & Fanwen Meng & Takahiro Noda & Jie Sun, 2013. "Establishing Nash equilibrium of the manufacturer–supplier game in supply chain management," Journal of Global Optimization, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1297-1312, August.
    7. Krishnan S. Anand & M. Faz{i}l Paç & Senthil Veeraraghavan, 2011. "Quality-Speed Conundrum: Trade-offs in Customer-Intensive Services," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 57(1), pages 40-56, January.
    8. Weixin Shang & Liming Liu, 2011. "Promised Delivery Time and Capacity Games in Time-Based Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 57(3), pages 599-610, March.
    9. Gérard P. Cachon & Patrick T. Harker, 2002. "Competition and Outsourcing with Scale Economies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(10), pages 1314-1333, October.
    10. Mei Xue & Patrick T. Harker, 2003. "Service Co-Production, Customer Efficiency and Market Competition," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 03-03, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania.
    11. Fernando Bernstein & Francis de Véricourt, 2008. "Competition for Procurement Contracts with Service Guarantees," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(3), pages 562-575, June.
    12. Gad Allon & Awi Federgruen, 2008. "Service Competition with General Queueing Facilities," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(4), pages 827-849, August.
    13. Saif Benjaafar & Ehsan Elahi & Karen L. Donohue, 2007. "Outsourcing via Service Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(2), pages 241-259, February.
    14. Elahi, Ehsan, 2013. "Outsourcing through competition: What is the best competition parameter?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(1), pages 370-382.
    15. Albert Y. Ha & Lode Li & Shu-Ming Ng, 2003. "Price and Delivery Logistics Competition in a Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(9), pages 1139-1153, September.
    16. Zhao, Chen & Wang, Zhongbin, 2023. "The impact of line-sitting on a two-server queueing system," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 308(2), pages 782-800.
    17. Lauren Xiaoyuan Lu & Jan A. Van Mieghem & R. Canan Savaskan, 2009. "Incentives for Quality Through Endogenous Routing," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(2), pages 254-273, July.
    18. Svoboda, Josef & Minner, Stefan & Yao, Man, 2021. "Typology and literature review on multiple supplier inventory control models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 293(1), pages 1-23.
    19. Qiang Gong, 2008. "Optimal Buy-Back Contracts with Asymmetric Information," International Journal of Management and Marketing Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 1(1), pages 23-47.
    20. Erica L. Plambeck & Terry A. Taylor, 2007. "Implications of Renegotiation for Optimal Contract Flexibility and Investment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(12), pages 1872-1886, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:53:y:2007:i:3:p:408-420. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.