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Article
Mean Flowtime and Inventory in Production Systems: A Finite Time Analogue to Little’s Law
International Journal of Production Economics
  • John J. Kanet, University of Dayton
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2004
Abstract

One of the most important results regarding flows in production systems is the well-known formula L=λW, commonly referred to as “Little's Law”. Whereas the formula pertains to steady state averages, we show here that it has a finite analogue, i.e., there is another “law” for the case of a finite time interval. The analogue has practical economic value as it provides a precise reconciliation of average inventory and time-in-system over a finite time interval—sometimes more relevant than “steady state” averages. Examples of the usefulness of the law in practical managerial situations are provided. An additional result is to show how the analogue leads to a straightforward proof of Little's Law that requires minimal assumptions.

Inclusive pages
37–46
ISBN/ISSN
0925-5273
Comments

Permission documentation is on file.

Publisher
Elsevier
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Citation Information
John J. Kanet. "Mean Flowtime and Inventory in Production Systems: A Finite Time Analogue to Little’s Law" International Journal of Production Economics Vol. 91 Iss. 1 (2004)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john_kanet/20/