Teaching Introduction to Queueing Using Excel
Malgorzata Miklas-Kalczynska and Zvi Drezner
College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, USA
Volume 20: 2026, pp. 00-00; ABSTRACT
The paper provides practical guidelines, teaching suggestions, and many examples for
teaching an introduction to queueing theory in business and operations courses. Queueing theory
is an important topic with many practical applications, but students often find it difficult because
the standard textbook formulas, especially for the M/M/k model, are mathematically
complicated and cumbersome to use. To make the topic more accessible, we developed an easy
to-use Excel spreadsheet for teaching the M/M/k model and two useful extensions: finite
capacity queues and queues with a general service-time distribution. The spreadsheet allows
students to focus on interpretation, what-if analysis, and managerial decision making rather than
on lengthy formula manipulation. The paper also provides a structured list of topics and
exercises that can help instructors design and deliver a queueing module. Student feedback has
been very positive, with many students reporting that the Excel file was useful and helpful in
understanding practical applications.
Keywords: queueing theory; Excel; spreadsheet modeling; operations management education;
teaching tool.
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