Synergistic modeling of call center operations

DOI10.1155/JAMDS/2006/53928MaRDI QIDQ955448zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Dennis C. Dietz, Jon G. Vaver

Publication date 20 November 2008

Published in Journal of Applied Mathematics and Decision Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://eudml.org/doc/129499

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Queues and service in operations research (90B22) Production models (90B30) Case-oriented studies in operations research (90B90)

Review text

Summary: We synergistically apply queueing theory, integer programming, and stochastic simulation to determine an optimal staffing policy for a repair call handling center. A stationary Markovian queueing model is employed to determine minimal staffing levels for a sequence of time intervals with varying call volumes and mean handling times. These staffing requirements populate an integer program model for determining the mix of call agent shifts that will achieve service quality standards at minimum cost. Since the analytical modeling requires simplifying assumptions, expected performance of the optimal staffing policy is evaluated using stochastic simulation. Computational efficiency of the simulation is improved dramatically by employing the queueing model to generate an analytic control variate.

Recommendations

• Optimizing call center staffing using simulation and analytic center cutting-plane methods
• Staffing multiskill call centers via linear programming and simulation
• Flexible staffing for call centers with non-stationary arrival rates
• Application of the queueing theory on calculation of the optimal number of employees of the call-centre
• Staffing of time-varying queues using a geometric discrete time modelling approach

Cites work

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Cited in

(5)

• Modeling a Phone Center: Analysis of a Multichannel, Multiresource Processor Shared Loss System
• Optimizing call center staffing using simulation and analytic center cutting-plane methods
• Staffing multiskill call centers via linear programming and simulation
• Application of the queueing theory on calculation of the optimal number of employees of the call-centre
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2221028 (Why is no real title available?)

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