Physical discomfort and psychosocial job stress among male and female operators at telecommunication call centers in Taiwan

The prevalence of job stress, distributions of major job stressors, and associations between perceived job stress levels and multiple physical discomforts are assessed via a cross-sectional study of 1023 male and female operators at telecommunication call centers in Taiwan. Cases of discomfort are identified via questionnaire surveys requiring respondents to self-reported symptoms of discomfort. Information is obtained on demographics, health status, perceived job stress levels, major job stressors and psychosocial job characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression models are developed to predict physical discomfort in nine body areas. ‘Eye strain’, ‘hoarse or painful throat’ and ‘musculoskeletal discomfort’ are the most pronounced and prevalent complaints after prolonged work time at call centers. Female operators had higher prevalence of physical discomfort than male operators for all body areas. ‘Encountering difficult customers’ ranked as the most important job stress factor among both male and female operators. Working in a call center for more than 4 years is strongly associated with discomfort in all body areas (odds ratio ranges from 1.65 to 2.15). Analysis of risk factors vs. physical discomfort reveals that operators who perceive higher job stress have significantly increased risk of several health complaints, including eye strain, tinnitus, hoarse or painful throat, chronic cough with phlegm, chest tightness, irritable stomach or peptic ulcers, frequent urination and musculoskeletal discomfort.     

Performance analysis of call centers with abandonment,retrial and after-call work

This paper considers a multiserver queueing model with abandonment, retrial and after-call work for call centers. Upon a phone call, customers that find a free call line occupy the line immediately while those who see all the call lines busy are blocked and join an orbit. Customers holding a call line are served according to the first-come first-served discipline. After completing a call, the customer leaves the system while the server must start an after-call work and the call line is released for a newly arrived customer. Waiting customers may abandon after some waiting time and then either join the orbit or leave forever. Customers in the orbit retry to hold a free call line after some time. We formulate the queueing system using a continuous-time level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death process for which a sufficient condition for the ergodicity is derived. We obtain a numerical solution for the stationary distribution based on which performance measures such as the waiting time distribution and the blocking probability are derived. Using Little’s law, we obtain explicit formulae which verify the accuracy of the numerical solution. We compare our model with some simpler models which do not fully take into account some human behaviors. The comparison shows significant differences implying the importance of our model. Numerical results show various insights into the performance of call centers.     

The effects of positive affect and personal information search on outcomes in call centers: An empirical study

Despite the increasing availability of computer-based information sources within organizations, employees continue to rely on other people as important sources of information. However, relatively little is known about the relations among positive affect, personal information search, and related outcomes — especially in organizations. Using data from 276 service representatives in one organization we find that positive affect is positively related to the likelihood of searching for information through personal sources. Moreover, we find that the relations between the likelihood of searching for information via personal sources and work outcomes, such as productivity and job satisfaction, are moderated by positive affect. Specifically, we find that positive affect negatively moderates the relations between personal information search and productivity, but positively moderates the relations between personal information search and job satisfaction. As we will discuss, these findings not only contribute to the IT and organizational behavior literatures but also have significant implications for practitioners.     

基于呼叫中心的客户关系管理系统服务流程优化研究

针对钢铁企业物流公司客户关系管理现状,及其客户服务请求处理流程中的不足,提出了基于呼叫中心的钢铁企业最优化客服请求处理流程及其技术实现,给出了平台功能设计,探讨了平台实现的关键技术。该系统充分满足客户满意度以及服务请求处理的及时性,快速性,确切性,可操作性等方面要求。     

基于CTI技术实现小型呼叫中心

CTI技术已成为建设第三代客户服务中心的核心技术。本文介绍了一种小型客服中心新的构建方案,并设计了相应的软硬件结构,并和其它模型相比较探讨其经济性和实用性。     

Applications of maximum queue lengths to call center management

This paper deals with the distribution of the maximum queue length in two-dimensional Markov models. In this framework, two typical assumptions are: (1) the stationary regime, and (2) the system homogeneity (i.e., homogeneity of the underlying infinitesimal generator). In the absence of these assumptions, the computation of the stationary queue length distribution becomes extremely intricate or, even, intractable. The use of maximum queue lengths provides an alternative queueing measure overcoming these problems. We apply our results to some problems arising from call center management.     

Using self-organizing maps to model turnover of sales agents in a call center

This paper proposes an approach for modeling employee turnover in a call center using the versatility of supervised self-organizing maps. Two main distinct problems exist for the modeling employee turnover: first, to predict the employee turnover at a given point in the sales agent's trial period, and second to analyze the turnover behavior under different performance scenarios by using psychometric information about the sales agents. Identifying subjects susceptible to not performing well early on, or identifying personality traits in an individual that does not fit with the work style is essential to the call center industry, particularly when this industry suffers from high employee turnover rates. Self-organizing maps can model non-linear relations between different attributes and ultimately find conditions between an individual's performance and personality attributes that make him more predisposed to not remain long in an organization. Unlike other models that only consider performance attributes, this work successfully uses psychometric information that describes a sales agent's personality, which enables a better performance in predicting turnover and analyzing potential personality profiles that can identify agents with better prospects of a successful career in a call center. The application of our model is illustrated and real data are analyzed from an outbound call center.     

An HMM-based call admission control policy for supporting QoS in wireless cellular networks

The multimedia services are getting to become the major trend in next-generation cellular networks. Call admission control (CAC) plays the key role for guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) in cellular networks. The goal which keeps both the call dropping probability (CDP) and call blocking probability (CBP) below a certain level is more difficult owing to user indeterminate mobility. In this paper, the Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) concept which is suitable for solving a dynamic situation is introduced and applied to the call admission control policy. The prediction of user mobility can be modeled and resolved as the decoding problem of the HMMs. According to the prediction result, the proposed CAC method can reserve appropriate bandwidths for a handoff call beforehand. Thus, the call dropping probability can be kept below a lower level. Moreover, the call blocking probability is not sacrificed too much since the proposed method can reserve the suitable bandwidths in the appropriate cells but not reserve stationary ones which are always adopted by traditional CAC methods. Therefore, the proposed method not only can satisfy both CDP and CBP issues, but also improve the system utilization.     

非接触式IC卡系统中呼叫中心的设计

呼叫中心系统是综合利用先进的通信及计算机技术,对信息和物资流程优化处理和管理,集中实现沟通、服务和生产指挥的系统.详细介绍了小型呼叫中心系统的设计及在东华理工大学非接触式IC卡系统中的应用.系统结合实际需求,采用语音板卡实现方案,有效地提高了系统的性能价格比,解决了呼叫中心在客户服务系统应用中所涉及的相关问题.     

QBD approximations of a call center queueing model with general patience distribution

This paper investigates a computationally practical way for analyzing a call center queueing model, i.e., a finite-capacity, multi-server queueing model, where each server goes on a single vacation. Poisson arrival process and exponential service and vacation times are assumed. We also assume that each customer may leave the queue due to impatience. Customers’ patience times are i.i.d. random variables with a general distribution. Level-dependent finite QBD (quasi-birth–death) processes are employed to approximate such a queueing model. Two approaches are considered. The first one uses the phase-type (PH) distribution to approximate the general patience distribution, whereas the second one is based on the idea of replacing the eventual reneging of customers with balking. We find that the first approach is almost impossible to compute numerically due to the exponential growth of the size of the block matrices in a level-dependent finite QBD. We examine the validity and applicability of the approximation based on the second approach and show that it gives us a practical way to obtain performance measures of call center systems in practical scale with sufficiently reasonable accuracy.     

Optimizing vendor selection in a two-stage outsourcing process

The decision processes surrounding outsourcing are complicated by the very nature of uncertainty involved in the outsourcing process and by poor vendor management. In this study, we focus on vendor selection, one of the two basic issues of vendor management in outsourcing. Due to the limitation of the classic one-stage vendor selection model, we propose a two-stage vendor selection research framework in outsourcing. The first stage is a trial phase that helps the client to find the best match between the vendor and the outsourced project. In the second stage, the client employs the chosen vendor for the full implementation of the project. We formulate this selection decision under the two-stage framework as a combinatorial optimization model. We analyze the complexity of the problem and develop a solution procedure to find the exact optimal solution. By applying this model to numerical case studies, we demonstrate that benefit to adopt two-stage process to the vendor depends on information improvement in the first stage and the client's ability to adapt to updated knowledge. We also argue that the selection of vendors for the first stage testing is more about creating a good vendor portfolio than simply picking the frontrunners.     

软件产业服务外包人才培养方法探索

针对软件服务外包人才需求状况,结合软件工程产业班特色,将软件产业人才培养与服务外包产业的人才需求相结合,提出增强学生就业能力的教育方法。通过分析企业对人才专业技术能力以及综合素质的切实需求,采取针对性培养模式提升学生的职业素养,最终实现造就高素质应用型人才的主要目标。     

Workforce planning and deployment for a hospital reservation call center with abandonment cost and multiple tasks

We consider a hospital reservation call center where operators handle multiple tasks. We take into account operator labor costs, caller waiting costs, and abandonment costs for lost calls. Instead of relying on the traditional method of queueing theory for call center management, we present a method that obtains expected caller waiting time and expected abandonment rate directly by introducing the inbound-load parameter. We develop a framework that combines workforce planning and operator deployment for a mixed call center in a single mathematical programming model. This paper also demonstrates how the proposed methodology can be applied in practice, with a case study based on actual operational data. Our primary conclusion is that the method presented in this research can significantly reduce both expected total cost (by 55.1% in our case study) and abandonment rate (from 15% to 2.1% in our case study). In addition, we demonstrate, using a sensitivity analysis, that our methodology will be more effective in an environment where the unit penalty cost of an abandoned call is relatively high among competitive hospitals.     

Retrial queuing system with Markovian arrival flow and phase-type service time distribution

We consider a multi-server queuing system with retrial customers to model a call center. The flow of customers is described by a Markovian arrival process (MAP). The servers are identical and independent of each other. A customer’s service time has a phase-type distribution (PH). If all servers are busy during the customer arrival epoch, the customer moves to the buffer with a probability that depends on the number of customers in the system, leaves the system forever, or goes into an orbit of infinite size. A customer in the orbit tries his (her) luck in an exponentially distributed arbitrary time. During a waiting period in the buffer, customers can be impatient and may leave the system forever or go into orbit. A special method for reducing the dimension of the system state space is used. The ergodicity condition is derived in an analytically tractable form. The stationary distribution of the system states and the main performance measures are calculated. The problem of optimal design is solved numerically. The numerical results show the importance of considering the MAP arrival process and PH service process in the performance evaluation and capacity planning of call centers.     

Business architecture: A new paradigm to relate business strategy to ICT

In this paper we address the concept of business architecture. We explain the concept and, based on a case study, discuss its relevance, operation, relationship with strategy and business models, and value for an organization. We also shortly discuss the approach that was taken to create the business architecture; how it was based on and derived from the business strategy. Business architectures contribute to clarify the complexity within an organization and form a useful starting point from which to develop subsequent functional, information, process and application architectures. We clarify these relationships through an architecture linkage model. Having an explicit business architecture also helps to structure the responsibilities within an organization, and to shape outsourcing activities, within the primary process as well as with regard to ICT-support. Business architectures contribute to an adequate ICT-governance in order to orchestrate the resources for critical business activities and how to manage the development and support for e-business efficiently. Gerrit Versteeg is managing partner/business architect for FourPoints Intelligence and has almost twenty years of experience in designing architectures for a variety of large customers. He graduated with honors in Strategic Management at Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University) and is currently pursuing his PhD researching the field of Business Architecture at Delft University of Technology. Harry Bouwman is an associate professor at Delft University of Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. He served as an interim chair of the ICT-section in the period 2000–2002 and in 2004. He studied political science at the Free University of Amsterdam (1979). He is specialized in research methods and techniques, statistic and communication sciences. He followed courses in the domain of Computer Science at the Open University (1985–86). He received his PhD at Catholic University Nijmegen in 1986 at the Faculty of Social Science. Fields of interest:—ICT and organizations, strategic management in relation to ICT-management, Business Architecture;- Business models, Customer Value, Network formation, specifically with regard to 3G+ Mobile telecommunications services;- Innovation Management, ICT-entrepreneurship, high-tech ICT clusters or technopoles, incubators, role of national and local governments, and - Technology neutral regulation of telecommunication, (history of) Internet, Interconnection issues, QoS, telecommunication management.     

不同物流和回收状态下的供应链决策分析

基于第三方物流服务商在供应链管理中的重要性,构造了以第三方物流服务商为主导企业的供应链模型.运用博弈论思想,对制造商回收和零售商回收的两类闭环供应链模型进行求解比较,提出了制造商实施物流外包和废旧品回收的临界条件.最后通过数值算例,分析了动态时域上服务成本和回收成本与制造商决策的关系.     

基于“服务外包”的高师院校计算机专业人才培养模式的思考

在分析当前地方高师院校计算机专业培养模式中存在问题的基础上,结合服务外包在高校学生培养中的作用,以赣南师范学院计算机专业的培养实际情况,对基于"服务外包"的计算机专业人才培养模式进行了一些理性思考和有意义的探讨。     

Coordination in a two-stage production system: Complexity, conflict and cooperation

We study the benefits of coordination between two adjacent stages in a production system. A set of jobs specific to the customers’ demand are processed in a planning horizon. Each job is characterized by its processing times in both stages and a due date. Once a job is processed in the first stage it enters a buffer where it may be moved to a specific location; when all jobs are processed in the buffer, the second stage commences its operations. The objective of the first stage is to minimize the inventory cost measured by the sum of completion time, and that of the second stage is to minimize the tardiness cost and the resequencing cost in the buffer. The stages prefer schedules that minimize their respective objective functions. The performance of the system is measured by the sum of the costs associated at both stages. We evaluate each stage's cost of conflict as the relative increase in its cost as a result of using the other stage's optimal schedule. We analyze the computational tractability of the individual stage's problems and the system problem, demonstrating that the system problem is NP-hard and that individual problems can be solved in polynomial time. We designed a Genetic Algorithm based on the idea of nondominated sorting for solving the system problem. The GA provided ideal solutions quickly, and numerical studies reveal that the cost saving provided by the coordinated schedule between both stages is usually significant. Coordination is possible between stages due to this cost saving. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications on our work for how both stages negotiate, coordinate, and implement their supply chain schedules in practice.     

基于拓扑图形的服务知识重用策略研究

为解决服务配置组合过程中服务知识的重用问题,建立服务知识重用策略及其表示方法.采用了形式化定义的方法对孤立服务知识进行建模,析取常见的服务知识重用模式与策略,提出利用拓扑模型的方式对服务知识的重用策略进行描述,构建基本的服务重用拓扑模型结构.实验分析结果表明,该方法使复杂的服务知识组件关系变得清晰、完整,解决以往的建模方法中信息描述不完全的问题.     

服务管理代理中Web服务的调用策略研究

服务管理代理在面向服务架构的系统中作为一个Web服务的管理中介,担负起按需动态调用Web服务的重要任务研究并实现了服务管理代理调用其所管理的Web服务的策略--响应向服务管理代理发出的Web服务请求.最后通过实现其内部的服务代理工厂利用Web服务同步调用/异步调用的机制实现对Web服务的有效动态调用.