Optimization Models for the Technician Routing and Scheduling at Access Communications

Access Communications是一家有线电视和电信提供商，为萨斯喀彻温省240多个社区**提供服务。这些社区广泛分布在全省，跨越了很大的地理区域。**Access Communications技术运营的主要职能之一是响应客户**的请求、服务问题并提供预防性维护措施。在第一次授予NSERC Engage**期间，我们开发了优化模型，Access Communications可以使用这些模型为服务技术人员找到最佳**时间表和路线，以减少驾驶时间并改善客户服务。我们还**开发了一个战略优化模型，可用于根据历史需求和使用第三方承包商外包服务的成本**，为公司在规划范围开始时应雇用的全职**技术人员**提供建议。这些模型需要集成到公司的**在线预订和技术人员劳动力管理系统。**我们的目标是首先通过考虑时间窗口来增强我们开发的模型，并找到每个地区的最佳时间窗口**以及与这些时间窗口相关的成本。预计这将改善**Access Communications的客户服务。然后，我们希望监控将我们开发的**优化模型集成到公司内部系统的过程。我们还计划通过创建一个试验区来测试和校准**模型，该试验区将使用我们的决策支持优化模型来调度和部署**技术人员。这些新的调度和路线系统预计将降低与服务技术人员相关的公司运营成本。它还将改善客户服务体验。

Access Communications is a cable television and telecommunications provider serving over 240 communities**in Saskatchewan. These communities are widely spread across the province, spanning a large geographic area.**One of the main functions for technical operations at Access Communications is to respond to customer**requests, service issues and to provide preventive maintenance measures. During the first NSERC Engage**grant, we developed optimization models that can be used by Access Communications to find optimal**schedules and routing for service technicians that reduce drive time and enhance customer service. We also**developed a strategic optimization model that can be used to advise the company on the number of full time**technicians that they should hire at the beginning of the planning horizon based on historical needs and the cost**of outsourcing services using third party contractors. Those models need to be integrated to the company's**online booking and technician workforce management systems.**Our goal is first to enhance the models we developed by considering time windows and to find the optimal time**window for each area along with the cost associated with those time windows. This is expected to improve**Access Communications' customer service. Then, we would like to monitor the integration process for the**optimization models we developed into the company internal systems. We also plan to test and calibrate the**models by creating a pilot area which will use our decision support optimization models to schedule and rout**technicians. These new scheduling and routing systems are expected to decrease the company operational costs**related to service technicians. It will also improve the customer service experience.