Optimal Cross Training in Call Centers With Uncertain Arrivals and Global Service Level Agreements

This paper consider agent cross-training in project oriented call centers where arrival rates are uncertain and the call center is subject to a global service level constraint. This paper is motivated by work with a provider of outsourced technical support services in which most projects include an inbound tier one help desk subject to a monthly Service Level Agreement (SLA). Support services are highly specialized and a significant training investment is required, an investment that is not transferable to other projects. The paper seeks to quantity the benefits of partial pooling and characterize the conditions under which pooling is most beneficial.