Premium
Analysis of Two‐Level Support Systems with Time‐Dependent Overflow—A Banking Application
Author(s) -
Barth Wolfgang,
Manitz Michael,
Stolletz Raik
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
production and operations management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.279
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1937-5956
pISSN - 1059-1478
DOI - 10.1111/j.1937-5956.2010.01155.x
Subject(s) - queue , computer science , markov chain , limit (mathematics) , reliability (semiconductor) , markov process , queueing theory , sensitivity (control systems) , real time computing , service (business) , operations research , mathematical optimization , computer network , statistics , mathematics , business , mathematical analysis , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , marketing , machine learning , electronic engineering , engineering
In this paper, we analyze the performance of call centers of financial service providers with two levels of support and a time‐dependent overflow mechanism. Waiting calls from the front‐office queue flow over to the back office if a waiting‐time limit is reached and at least one back‐office agent is available. The analysis of such a system with time‐dependent overflow is reduced to the analysis of a continuous‐time Markov chain with state‐dependent overflow probabilities. To approximate the system with time‐dependent overflow, some waiting‐based performance measures are modified. Numerical results demonstrate the reliability of this Markovian performance approximation for different parameter settings. A sensitivity analysis shows the impact of the waiting‐time limit and the dependence of the performance measures on the arrival rate.