Epsilon Airlines services predominantly the eastern and southeastern United States. The vast majority of Epsilon's customers make reservations through Epsilon's website, but a small percentage of customers make reservations via phones. Epsilon employs call center personnel to handle these reservations and to deal with website reservation system problems and for the rebooking of flights for customers whose plans have changed or whose travel is disrupted. Staffing the call center appropriately is a challenge for Epsilon's management team. Having too many employees on hand is a waste of money, but having too few results in very poor customer service and the potential loss of customers. Epsilon analysts have estimated the minimum number of call center employees needed by day of the week for the upcoming vacation season (June, July, and the first two weeks of August). These estimates are as follows: Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Minimum Number of Employees Needed 75 50 45 90 75 45 The call center employees work for five consecutive days and then have two consecutive days off. An employee may start work on any day of the week. Each call center employee receives the same salary. Assume that the schedule cycles and ignore start up and stop- ping of the schedule. Develop a model that will minimize the total number of call center employees needed to meet the minimum requirements. Find the optimal solution. Give the number of call center employees that exceed the minimum required.

Practical Management Science
6th Edition
ISBN:9781337406659
Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...
icon
Related questions
Question
Epsilon Airlines services predominantly the eastern and southeastern United States. The vast majority of Epsilon's
customers make reservations through Epsilon's website, but a small percentage of customers make reservations via
phones. Epsilon employs call center personnel to handle these reservations and to deal with website reservation
system problems and for the rebooking of flights for customers whose plans have changed or whose travel is
disrupted. Staffing the call center appropriately is a challenge for Epsilon's management team. Having too many
employees on hand is a waste of money, but having too few results in very poor customer service and the potential
loss of customers.
Epsilon analysts have estimated the minimum number of call center employees needed by day of the week for the
upcoming vacation season (June, July, and the first two weeks of August). These estimates are as follows:
Day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Minimum Number of
Employees Needed
75
50
45
90
75
45
The call center employees work for five consecutive days and then have two consecutive days off. An employee
may start work on any day of the week. Each call center employee receives the same salary. Assume that the
schedule cycles and ignore start up and stop- ping of the schedule. Develop a model that will minimize the total
number of call center employees needed to meet the minimum requirements. Find the optimal solution. Give the
number of call center employees that exceed the minimum required.
Transcribed Image Text:Epsilon Airlines services predominantly the eastern and southeastern United States. The vast majority of Epsilon's customers make reservations through Epsilon's website, but a small percentage of customers make reservations via phones. Epsilon employs call center personnel to handle these reservations and to deal with website reservation system problems and for the rebooking of flights for customers whose plans have changed or whose travel is disrupted. Staffing the call center appropriately is a challenge for Epsilon's management team. Having too many employees on hand is a waste of money, but having too few results in very poor customer service and the potential loss of customers. Epsilon analysts have estimated the minimum number of call center employees needed by day of the week for the upcoming vacation season (June, July, and the first two weeks of August). These estimates are as follows: Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Minimum Number of Employees Needed 75 50 45 90 75 45 The call center employees work for five consecutive days and then have two consecutive days off. An employee may start work on any day of the week. Each call center employee receives the same salary. Assume that the schedule cycles and ignore start up and stop- ping of the schedule. Develop a model that will minimize the total number of call center employees needed to meet the minimum requirements. Find the optimal solution. Give the number of call center employees that exceed the minimum required.
Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
Practical Management Science
Practical Management Science
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781337406659
Author:
WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:
Cengage,
Operations Management
Operations Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259667473
Author:
William J Stevenson
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259666100
Author:
F. Robert Jacobs, Richard B Chase
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Business in Action
Business in Action
Operations Management
ISBN:
9780135198100
Author:
BOVEE
Publisher:
PEARSON CO
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781285869681
Author:
Robert M. Monczka, Robert B. Handfield, Larry C. Giunipero, James L. Patterson
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781478623069
Author:
Steven Nahmias, Tava Lennon Olsen
Publisher:
Waveland Press, Inc.