Aspects of blocking on time-varying tandem queueing network

Most real-world service systems are susceptible to queue capacity constraints, leading to a blockage of entities. Several blocking mechanisms can be implemented when capacity constraints influence the flow of entities through the system. This study investigates the comparative performance of blocking-after-service (BAS) and blocking-before-service (BBS) mechanisms by modelling a hospital emergency department with a finite capacity queue. The model is based on a two-station tandem network with finite capacity on the intermediate queue, and we developed transient performance measures for the system in both mechanisms. Using a numerical approach, we highlight how these mechanisms influence the time-varying number of patients and the virtual workload in the system. Our results demonstrate that the BAS mechanism slightly outperforms the BBS mechanism in reducing unwanted congestion.