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OPTIMIZATION OF OVERFLOW POLICIES IN CALL CENTERS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2015

G.M. Koole ,
B.F. Nielsen  and
T.B. Nielsen
G.M. Koole
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdamthe Netherlands E-mail: ger.koole@vu.nl
B.F. Nielsen
Affiliation:
Department of Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, 2800 Kgs. LyngbyDenmark E-mail: bfni@dtu.dk
T.B. Nielsen
Affiliation:
Department of Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, 2800 Kgs. LyngbyDenmark E-mail: bfni@dtu.dk
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Abstract

We examine how overflow policies in a multi-skill call center should be designed to accommodate performance measures that depend on waiting time percentiles such as service level. This is done using a discrete Markovian approximation of the waiting time of the first customers waiting in line. A Markov decision chain is used to determine the optimal policy. This policy outperforms considerably the ones used most often in practice, which use a fixed threshold. The present method can be used also for other call-center models and other situations where performance is based on actual waiting times and customers are treated in a FCFS order.

Type
Research Article
Information
Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , July 2015 , pp. 461 - 471
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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