Optimizing Call Center Staffing Using Simulation and Analytic Center Cutting-Plane Methods

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0774

References

  • Andradóttir S., Banks J. Simulation optimization. Handbook of Simulation (1998) (John Wiley & Sons, New York) 307–333Chapter 9CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Atkinson D. S., Vaidya P. M. A cutting plane algorithm for convex programming that uses analytic centers. Math. Programming, Ser. B (1995) 69(1):1–43Google Scholar
  • Atlason J. A simulation based cutting plane method for optimization of service systems. (2004) . Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MIGoogle Scholar
  • Atlason J., Epelman M. A., Henderson S. G., Chick S., Sánchez P. J., Ferrin D., Morrice D. J. Using simulation to approximate subgradients of convex performance measures in service systems. Proc. 2003 Winter Simulation Conf. (2003) (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ) 1824–1832Google Scholar
  • Atlason J., Epelman M. A., Henderson S. G. Call center staffing with simulation and cutting plane methods. Ann. Oper. Res. (2004) 127:333–358CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Bahn O., du Merle O., Goffin J.-L., Vial J.-P. A cutting plane method from analytic centers for stochastic programming. Math. Programming, Ser. B (1995) 69(1):45–73Google Scholar
  • Bazaraa M. S., Sherali H. D., Shetty C. M.Nonlinear Programming: Theory and Algorithms (1993) (John Wiley & Sons, New York) Google Scholar
  • Borst S., Mandelbaum A., Reiman M. I. Dimensioning large call centers. Oper. Res. (2004) 52(1):17–34LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Castillo I., Joro T., Li Y. Workforce scheduling with multiple objectives. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (2007) . ForthcomingGoogle Scholar
  • Cleveland B., Mayben J.Call Center Management on Fast Forward (1997) (Call Center Press, Annapolis, MD) Google Scholar
  • Cooper R. B.Introduction to Queueing Theory (1981) 2nd ed.(Elsevier, North-Holland, New York) Google Scholar
  • du Merle O. Interior points and cutting planes: Development and implementation of methods for convex optimization and large scale structured linear programming. (1995) . (In French). Ph.D. thesis, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandGoogle Scholar
  • du Merle O., Goffin J.-L., Vial J.-P. On improvements to the analytic center cutting plane method. Computational Optim. Appl. (1998) 11:37–52CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Elhedhli S., Goffin J.-L. The integration of an interior-point cutting plane method within a branch-and-price algorithm. Math. Programming, Ser. A (2003) 100:267–294CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Gans N., Koole G., Mandelbaum A. Telephone call centers: Tutorial, review and research prospects. Manufacturing Service Oper. Management (2003) 5(2):79–141LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Goffin J.-L., Haurie A., Vial J.-P. Decomposition and nondifferentiable optimization with the projective algorithm. Management Sci. (1992) 38(2):284–302LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Goffin J.-L., Luo Z.-Q., Ye Y. Complexity analysis of an interior cutting plane method for convex feasibility problems. SIAM J. Optim. (1996) 6(3):638–652CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Green L. V., Kolesar P. J., Soares J. Improving the SIPP approach for staffing service systems that have cyclic demands. Oper. Res. (2001) 49(4):549–564LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Green L. V., Kolesar P. J., Soares J. An improved heuristic for staffing telephone call centers with limited operating hours. Production Oper. Management (2003) 12(1):46–61CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Ingolfsson A., Cabral E., Wu X. Combining integer programming and the randomization method to schedule employees. (2007) . Working paper, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. Retrieved November 28, 2007, http://www.business.ualberta.ca/aingolfsson/publications.htmGoogle Scholar
  • Ingolfsson A., Haque M. A., Umnikov A. Accounting for time-varying queueing effects in workforce scheduling. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (2002) 139:585–597CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Jennings O. B., Mandelbaum A., Massey W. A., Whitt W. Server staffing to meet time-varying demand. Management Sci. (1996) 42(10):1383–1394LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Kelley J. E. The cutting-plane method for solving convex programs. J. Soc. Indust. Appl. Math. (1960) 8(4):703–712CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Kleywegt A. J., Shapiro A., Homem-de-Mello T. The sample average approximation method for stochastic discrete optimization. SIAM J. Optim. (2001) 12(2):479–502CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Kolesar P. J., Green L. V. Insights on service system design from a normal approximation to Erlang's delay formula. Production Oper. Management (1998) 7:282–293CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Mandelbaum A. Call centers (centres): Research bibliography with abstracts. (2003) . Version 5. Retrieved June 7, 2004, http://ie.technion.ac.il/serveng/References/ccbib.pdfGoogle Scholar
  • Mason A. J., Ryan D. M., Panton D. M. Integrated simulation, heuristic and optimisation approaches to staff scheduling. Oper. Res. (1998) 46(2):161–175LinkGoogle Scholar
  • Mitchell J. E. Computational experience with an interior point cutting plane algorithm. SIAM J. Optim. (2000) 10(4):1212–1227CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Mitchell J. E. Polynomial interior point cutting plane methods. Optim. Methods and Software (2003) 18(5):507–534CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Murota K.Discrete Convex Analysis (2003) (SIAM, Philadelphia) CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Nesterov Y. Complexity estimates of some cutting plane methods based on the analytic barrier. Math. Programming, Ser. B (1995) 69(1):149–176Google Scholar
  • Peton O., Vial J.-P. A tutorial on ACCPM: User's guide for version 2.01. (2001) . Working paper, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved November 23, 2007, http://blogs. unige.ch/hec/logilab/Google Scholar
  • Shapiro A., Ruszczynski A., Shapiro A. Monte Carlo sampling methods. Stochastic Programming. Handbooks in Operations Research and Management Science (2003) (Elsevier, Amsterdam) 353–425CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Westerlund T., Pörn R. Solving pseudo-convex mixed integer optimization problems by cutting plane techniques. Optim. Engrg. (2002) 3:253–280CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Whitt W. The pointwise stationary approximation for Mt/Mt/s queues is asymptotically correct as the rates increase. Management Sci. (1991) 37(3):307–314LinkGoogle Scholar
INFORMS site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; Others help us improve the user experience. By using this site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Please read our Privacy Statement to learn more.