Optimal strategies for rostering servers

One of the most vexing problems facing the service industry is the optimal scheduling of servers to both satisfy customer demand and to minimise the cost of doing so. There is a fine line in maintaining this balance and the long queues often seen in practice testify that scientific method has not been utilised effectively, if at all. This study examines some of those models that will benefit scenarios in which servers must be rostered according to specific requirement levels at either at minimum cost or using a minimum number of servers. Several types of integer programming models are considered, including those necessitating 24-hour scheduling and those where the establishment is opened for fewer hours. A numerical example is provided to illustrate how these models can be easily used in practice.6 page(s