Simulation and Optimization for Call Centers Management

呼叫中心在加拿大雇佣了数十万人，涉及巨额资金。大多数中心在高度不确定(随机)的环境中运行。因此，它们的管理很复杂，是运筹学应用的一个很有前途且快速增长的领域。这个项目的目的是开发数学模型、优化算法和模拟优化软件，以更好地管理电话呼叫中心。第一个也是主要的研究方向是多技能呼叫中心，在那里，具有不同能力组合的不同类型的代理处理不同类型的呼叫。*我们将开发和实施模拟模型和工具，以及人员配备、调度和呼叫路由的优化算法。第二个方向是开发混合中心的人员配备、调度、呼叫路由和呼出拨号的算法和工具，以及混合多技能和混合的中心。第三个方向是用Java开发模拟工具。我们的目标是开发市场上最高效、灵活、可靠和通用的模拟工具。第四个方向是对到达过程和放弃行为进行建模，并开发改进的呼叫量预测方法，包括短期和中期范围。

Call centers employ hundreds of thousands people in Canada and involve huge amounts of money. Most centers operate in highly uncertain (stochastic) environments.  Their management is complex and is a promising and rapidly growing area of application for operations research. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models, optimization algorithms, and simulation and optimization software for better management of telephone call centers.  The first and primary research direction concerns multi-skill call centers, where different types of agents with various combinations of abilities handle different types of calls.  We will develop and implement simulation models and tools, and optimization algorithms for staffing, scheduling, and call routing. The second direction is to develop algorithms and tools for staffing, scheduling, call routing, and outbound dialling for blend centers, as well as centers mixing multiskill and blend.  The third direction concerns simulation tools in Java.  Our goal is to develop the most efficient, flexible, reliable, and general simulation tool on the market.  The fourth direction is the modeling of arrival processes and abandonment behavior and the development of improved forecasting methods for the call volumes, over short-term and medium-term horizons.