Optimization of Multi-skill Call Centers Contracts and Work-shifts

Roberto Cordone (), Andrea Piselli (), Paolo Ravizza () and Giovanni Righini ()
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Roberto Cordone: Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Comelico 39, 20135 Milano, Italy
Andrea Piselli: Studio Zeta S.R.L., Via Lissoni 5, 20052 Monza, Italy
Paolo Ravizza: Studio Zeta S.R.L., Via Lissoni 5, 20052 Monza, Italy
Giovanni Righini: Dipartimento di Tecnologie dell'Informazione, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Bramante 65, 26013 Crema, Italy

Service Science, 2011, vol. 3, issue 1, 67-81

Abstract: Call centers are complex systems in which it is essential to optimize the trade-off between the service level provided to the customers and the cost for the personnel. In this paper we describe a quantitative approach to choose the most suitable contracts to hire the call center operators. The aim is to organize their work-shifts and their rest periods, including lunch-breaks, in such a way that the mix of skills obtained in each time slot is as close as possible to a desired level, estimated according to demand forecasts. The approach here proposed is based on a heuristic method which exploits a general purpose linear programming solver. [ Service Science , ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]

Keywords: workforce management; call center optimization; integer linear programming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orserv:v:3:y:2011:i:1:p:67-81

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