Question A:

During each 2 hour shift of the day, the call center would require the following
operators per shift in order to answer all the calls.

Work Shift
Enligh
Speaking
Operators
Needed
Spanish
Speaking
Operatros
Needed
7am - 9am 6 2
9am - 11am 12 3
11am - 1pm 10 3
1pm - 3pm 13 4
3pm - 5pm 11 3
5pm - 7pm 5 2
7pm - 9pm 2 1


(Please refer to excel spreadsheet Worksheet labelled Question A for detailed
problem solving)


Question B:
In order to determine the number of full time employees who speak Spanish, full time
employees who speak English and part time employees to hire for each shift, we
would need to formulate the linear programming (LP) model with the objective of
minimising costs while answering calls:

As the number of Spanish-speaking operators and English speaking operators are
independent, 2 LP models were formulated for each respective operator. Both
models have the same objective function and assumptions applied.

Objective Function:
Minimising operating costs

Assumptions:
1) Wages for the hours used on phone calls are the only operating costs.
2) The wages for the hours used to do paperwork is omitted in this scenario as the
costs are paid by other cost centres.

Decision Variables:
1) Number of full time employees starting their shift from 7am 9am
2) Number of full time employees starting their shift from 9am 11am
3) Number of full time employees starting their shift from 11am 1pm
4) Number of full time employees starting their shift from 1pm 3pm
5) Number of full time employees starting their shift from 3pm 5pm
6) Number of part time employees starting their shift from 3pm 5pm
7) Number of part time employees starting their shift from 5pm 7pm

Coefficients: The coefficient in the objective function is the wages the operators
earn during their time spent on phone calls:

English Speaking Operators (Full Time and Part Time)
Shift Beginning Rate per Hour Wage per shift

7am - 9am 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

9am - 11am 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

11am - 1pm 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

1pm - 3pm
2hrs @ $10/hr
2hrs @ $12/hr $44

3pm - 5pm
2hrs @ $10/hr
2hrs @ $12/hr $44

5pm - 7pm 4hrs @ $12/hr $48


LP Model for English Speaking Operators:

Min. 40E1 + 40E2 + 40E3 + 44E4 + 44E5 + 44P1 + 48P2
s.t.
E1 6
E2 12
E1 + E3 10
E3 + E5 + P1 13
E4 + P1 + P2 11
E4 + P1 + P2 5
E5 + P2 2
E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, P1, P2 0


Spanish Speaking Operators (Full Time Only)
Shift Beginning Rate per Hour
Wage per
shift

7am - 9am 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

9am - 11am 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

11am - 1pm 4hrs @ $10/hr $40

1pm - 3pm
2hrs @ $10/hr
2hrs @ $12/hr $44

3pm - 5pm
2hrs @ $10/hr
2hrs @ $12/hr $44


LP Model for Spanish Speaking Operators:

Min. 40E1 + 40E2 + 40E3 + 44E4 + 44E5 + 44P1 + 48P2
s.t.
S1 2
S2 3
S1 + S3 3
S2 + S4 4
S3 + S5 3
S4 2
S5 1
E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, P1, P2 0

Optimal Solution = Value of Objective Function for English Speaking Operators +
Value of Objective Function for Spanish Speaking Operators

Optimal Solution = $1228 + $412
= $1640

Overall, Lenny should hire 25 full time English speaking employees, 5 part time
English speaking employees and 10 full time Spanish speaking employees.

It is recommended that 6 of the 25 full time English speaking employees begin their
shift from 7am 9am, 13 to begin from 9am 11am, 4 to start at 11am 1pm, none
to start at 1pm 3pm and 2 to start their shift from 3pm to 5pm. Furthermore, Lenny
should also engage all 5 of the English speaking part time employees to start their
shift from 3pm 7pm. With the full time Spanish speaking employees, it is
recommended that 2 people start their shift from 7am 9am, 3 people to begin at
9am 11am, 2 to start from 11am 1pm, another 2 people to start their shift at 1pm
3pm and the last to start at 3pm 5pm.

Under this recommendation, the total operating costs that Lenny would incur would
equate to $1,640 per working day.

(Please see excel spreadsheet Worksheets labelled Question B English
Speaking and Question B Spanish Speaking for detailed problem solving)






Question C





Question D:

If Lenny decides to investigate the option of hiring all bilingual operators, then during
each 2 hour shift of the day, the call center would require the following operators per
shift in order to answer all the calls.

Work Shift
Average
Number of
Calls
Operators
Required
7am - 9am 40 7
9am - 11am 85 15
11am - 1pm 70 12
1pm - 3pm 95 16
3pm - 5pm 80 14
5pm - 7pm 35 6
7pm - 9pm 10 2


(Please refer to excel spreadsheet Worksheet labelled Question D for detailed
problem solving)




Question E

LP Model for Bilingual Operators:

Min. 40F1 + 40F2 + 40F3 + 44F4 + 44F5 + 44P1 + 48P2
s.t.
F1 7
F2 15
F1 + F3 12
F2 + F4 16
F3 + F5 + P1 14
F4 + P1 + P2 6
F5 + P2 2
F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, P1, P2 0

Optimal Solution = $1512

Overall, Lenny should hire 31 full time Bilingual employees and 6 part time Bilingual
employees.

It is recommended that 7 of the 31 full time Bilingual speaking employees begin their
shift from 7am 9am, 16 to begin from 9am 11am, 6 to start at 11am 1pm, none
to start at 1pm 3pm and 2 to start their shift from 3pm to 5pm. Furthermore, Lenny
should also engage all 6 of the Bilingual part time employees to start their shift from
3pm 7pm.

Under this recommendation, the total operating costs that Lenny would incur would
equate to $1,512 per working day.


(Please refer to excel spreadsheet Worksheet labelled Question E Bilingual for
detailed problem solving)





Question F

Total Cost of English Speaking Operators = $1,228.00
Total Cost of Spanish Speaking Operators = $412.00
Total Cost of Bilingual Speaking Operators $1,512.00

Maximum percentage increase in the hourly wage:

Total Cost of Monolingual Employees Total Cost of Bilingual Employees
Total Cost of Bilingual Employees

= (1228 + 412) 1512 / 1512
= 128 / 1512
= 0.08466

The maximum percentage increase in the hourly wage rate that Lenny can pay
bilingual employees over monolingual employees without increasing the total
operation costs would equate to 8.47%




Question G



If the average number of phone calls on the 9am 11am shift is increased and
causes the number of operators needed for that shift to increase by 1, it would have
no change to the operating costs. It is also within the allowable increase.


(Please refer to excel spreadsheet Worksheet labelled Sensitivity Report 3 for full
Report)