Service Provider Staff Optimization
Keywords:
Technical Support, IT Quality, Optimization, TCO, Call Center, StaffingAbstract
Purpose: The increased role of IT processes in the economy and permanent market demand for the reduction of the fixed costs lead
to the task of IT staff optimization. This problem cannot be solved by rationing methods because there can be different implementation
levels of the information systems, different qualification of the users and different business risk tolerance. The numerous research
works on this subject use certain empirical standards or reduce the problem to staff minimization or personnel cost reduction. In this
case, the business process quality from the consumer's point of view is not particularly considered. The aim of this work is developing a method of provider staff control, allowing you to optimize it for the chosen performance indicator. Results: A discrete event model was developed for the business process of IT service provider support. The proposed approach has been compared with Salukvadze method and proved to be more adequate for solving problems of this kind. It has been found that a single pool of specialists is economically advantageous compared to a separate call-center. The novelty of the approach lies in the fact that the optimum number of the staff is calculated with due regard for the provider by minimizing the opportunity cost per an operating cycle. Practical relevance: The proposed staff optimization method can minimize the staff costs by reducing the operating cycle of the service calls.