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Staffing and scheduling under nonstationary demand for service: A literature review

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  • Defraeye, Mieke
  • Van Nieuwenhuyse, Inneke

Abstract

Many service systems display nonstationary demand: the number of customers fluctuates over time according to a stochastic—though to some extent predictable—pattern. To safeguard the performance of such systems, adequate personnel capacity planning (i.e., determining appropriate staffing levels and/or shift schedules) is often crucial. This paper provides a state-of-the-art literature review on staffing and scheduling approaches that account for nonstationary demand. Among references published during 1991–2013, it is possible to categorize relevant contributions according to system assumptions, performance evaluation characteristics, optimization approaches and real-life application contexts. Based on their findings, the authors develop recommendations for further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Defraeye, Mieke & Van Nieuwenhuyse, Inneke, 2016. "Staffing and scheduling under nonstationary demand for service: A literature review," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 4-25.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:58:y:2016:i:c:p:4-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2015.04.002
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