What We’ll Do ...

• Explore lower-level modeling constructs

• Model 1: A generic call-center system
 Balking, three-way decisions, variables, expressions,
Debugging
 Run conditions, model size and speed, overall performance
measures
 A Generic Call Center System
• Our generic call center system provides a central
number in an organization that customers call for
technical support, sales information, and order
status. This central number feeds 26 trunk lines.
If all 26 lines are in use, a caller gets a busy
signal; hopefully, the caller will try again later. An
answered caller hears a recording describing
three options: transfer to technical support, sales
information, or order-status inquiry (76%, 16%,
and 8%, respectively). The estimated time for this
activity is UNIF(0.1, 0.6); all times are in minutes.
 A Generic Call Center System
• If the caller chooses technical support, a second
recording requests which of three product types the caller
is using, which requires UNIF(0.l,0.5) minutes. The
percentage of requests for product types 1, 2, and 3 are
25%, 34%, and 41 %, respectively. If a qualified technical
support person is available for the selected product type,
the call is automatically routed to that person. If none are
currently available, the customer is placed in an electronic
queue where he is subjected to annoying rock music until
a support person is available. The time for all technical
support calls is estimated to be TRIA(3, 6, 18) minutes
regardless of the product type. Upon completion of the
call, the customer exits the system.
 A Generic Call Center System
• Sales calls are automatically routed to the sales staff.
If a sales person is not available, the caller is treated
to soothing new-age space music (after all, we’re
hoping for a sale). Sales calls are estimated to be
TRIA(4, 15, 45)-sales people tend to talk a lot more
than technical support people! Upon completion of
the call, the happy customer exits the system. Callers
requesting order-status information are automatically
handled by the phone system, and there is no limit on
the number the system can handle (except that there
are only 26 trunk lines, which is itself a limit, since an
ongoing order-status call occupies one of these
lines).
 A Generic Call Center System
• The estimated time for these transactions is TRIA(2, 3, 4)
minutes, with 15% of these callers opting to speak to a real
person after they have received their order status. These
calls are routed to the sales staff where they wait with the
lower priority as sales calls. These callers then exit the
system. The call system hours are from 8 AM until 6 PM.
Although the system closes to new calls after 6 PM, all calls
that enter the system by that time are answered. The call
arrival rate to this system varies over the course of the day,
which is typical of these types of systems, and is expressed
exponentially with mean value equal to 0.857 minutes.
 Generic Call Center
(Model-1)
• Single telephone number, 26 trunk lines
 If all 26 lines busy, caller gets busy signal and goes away
• Answered call gets recording asking …
 Technical support? (76% of callers choose this)
 Sales information? (16%)
 Order-status inquiry? (8%)
• Time for caller to choose ~ UNIF (0.1, 0.6)
• All times are in minutes in this model
 Technical Support Calls
• Get second recording asking …
 Product type 1? (25% of tech support callers choose this)
 Product type 2? (34%)
 Product type 3? (41%)
• Recording and choosing takes UNIF(0.1, 0.5)
• If a qualified tech-support person is available for
chosen product, call routed for immediate service
• If not, call placed in (electronic) queue, subjected
to annoying rock music
• All tech support conversations ~ TRIA (3, 6, 18)
• When call done, customer exits system
 Sales Calls
• Call automatically routed to sales staff
• Sales staff is separate from tech-support staff
• If a sales-staff person is available, call gets
immediate service
• If not, call placed in (electronic) queue, treated to
soothing new-age space music
• All sales conversations ~ TRIA (4, 15, 45)
• When call done, customer exits system
 Order-Status Calls
• Automatically handled by phone system — no people
• No limit on number handled at a time (but still limited
by the 26 trunk lines)
• Time for “conversation” ~ TRIA (2, 3, 4)
• After call, 15% take option to talk to a real person (the
rest exit the system)
 These calls are routed to sales staff
 Have lower priority as incoming sales calls
 Conversation durations ~ TRIA (3, 5, 10)
 Then exit the system
 Call Arrivals
• Calls accepted from 8 AM until 6 PM
 Incoming calls shut out after 6 PM
 But all calls that entered before 6 PM are answered
• Call arrival rate varies substantially over the day
 Data on rate (calls per hour) for each half-hour period:
 New Modeling Issues
• This is a service (not manufacturing) system
 But can use same modeling capabilities
• Balking
 Required because there are only 26 trunk lines
 Entity arrives at queue, which is full (capacity is 0 here)
 Entity departs from system – count these
 New Modeling Issues (cont’d.)
• Three-way decisions
 Entity or call can go to one of three places in model based
on call type
– Similarly, tech-support calls can go to one of three places based on
product type
 Capability available in Decide module
 New Modeling Issues (cont’d.)
• Variables and Expressions
 Can be referenced in model by name
 Can be one- or two-dimensional arrays, indexed by one or
two integers
 User-defined Variables
– Store some numerical value (not a formula)
– Can be initialized in Variable data module
– Can be used, reassigned during the simulation run by any entity
 User-defined Expressions
– A name defined by a mathematical expression
– This name can be references anywhere in the model
– Can use constants, Variables, Attributes, system state variables,
values from distribution – connected via mathematical operations
Can use Expression Builder to help define
– Defined in Expression data module (Advanced Process panel)
 Key Output Performance Measures
• Count balks — no. of attempted incoming calls
sent away due to all 26 trunk lines being busy
 Will not model reneging — customers in queue leaving the system if
they get sick of waiting

• Personnel utilization
 Arena Modeling Panels
• Basic Process panel
 Highest level of modeling
• Advanced Process panel
 More detailed (and different) modeling capabilities
• Advanced Transfer panel
 Material-handling, entity-movement capabilities
• Blocks, Elements panels
 Lowest level of modeling capabilities – the underlying
SIMAN simulation language itself
 Other panels are created using modules from these panels
 Occasionally needed, but not very often
 Building the Model
• Defining the Data
• Divide model in sections
 Create Arrivals and Direct to Service
 Technical Support Calls
 Sales Calls
 Order-Status calls
 Departure Logic Section
 Calls Cut-off Section
• We’ll discuss each of these in turn …
 Arrival Section for Incoming Calls

Arrival Section for Incoming Calls

Increment Total Delay for Initial
Seizetrunk line
0 True WIP recording
Create Incoming Record Incoming Decide the fate of
calls calls IncomingCalls
0
Record rejected Dispose rejected
0 Fals e calls calls
0
Arrival Section for Incoming Calls
 Technical Support Logic Section

0 False

Technical Support Logic Section Product 1 Tech

Person

Assign tech call Automatic Tech

Decide call Type Calls Recording
Decide product type 0
type and picture
Product 2 Tech
0 Person
E lse
E lse
25
76
34
16 0
Product 3 Tech
Person

0
 Sales Support Logic Section

Sales Support Logic Section

Assign sales call Sales Process

type and picture calls

0
 Order Status support Logic Section

Order Status Support Logic Section

Assign order
0 Tru e
Decided not to speak to
status call type Delay
Sales Rep
and picture
TRIA (2, 3, 4)
0 Fa ls e
Delay Sales Release sales
Assign priority for Seize sales rep person for order rep
sales rep status
 Departure Logic Section

Departure Logic Section

Release Trunk Decrement Total Record Dispose Incoming

Lines WIP completed calls Calls
0
 Calls Cut-off Logic section

Calls Cut-off Logic Se ction

Reassign
variables calls Dispose fake
Create fake entity
per arrival and entity
max arrivals
0 0
 Departure Logic
Arrival Logic
0 Re c o rd Di s p o s e
Re c o rd De l a y fo r Re l e a s e De c re a s e
De c i d e fa te o f Tr ue Se i z e th e In c re m e n t Co m p l e te d Co m p l e te d
Cre a te Ca l l s In c o m i n g In i ti a l Tru n k L i n e To ta l WIP
In c o m i n g Ca l l s Tru n k L i n e To ta l WIP Ca l l s Ca l l s 0
Ca l l s Re c o rd i n g
0
Fals e
0
Re c o rd fo r
Di s p o s e
Re j e c te d
Re j e c te d Ca l l s
Ca l l s 0

Arrival Cut-off Logic

Technical Support Logic As s i g n Ag a i n
Cre a te Fa k e Ca l l s Pe r Di s p o s e Fa k e
Pro d u c t 1 En ti ty Arri v a l a n d En ti ty
De c i d e Ca l l As s i g n Te c h Au to m a ti c Te c h Pe rs o n M a x Ca l l s 0
Ty p e De c i d e 0
Ca l l Ty p e a n d Te c h Ca l l
Pro d u c t Ty p e 0
76
16
Pi c tu re Re c o rd i n g 25
Els e 34
0 Els e
Pro d u c t 2
Te c h Pe rs o n

Pro d u c t 3
Te c h Pe rs o n

0
Sales Support Logic
As s i g n Sa l e s
Pro c e s s
Ca l l Ty p e a n d
Sa l e s Ca l l s
Pi c tu re
0

Order Status Support Logic

As s i g n Ord e r 0
De c i d e No t to
Sta tu s Ca l l Tr ue
De l a y Sp e a k to
Ty p e a n d
Sa l e s Re p
Pi c tu re De l a y
T RI A (2 , 3 , 4 )
0 Fals e As s i g n Sa l e s
Se i z e Sa l e s
Pri o ri ty fo r Pe rs o n fo r
Re p
Sa l e s Re p Ord e r
Sta tu s