Number Time Representatives Needed Period Midnight-4 AM 3 4 АM-8 АM 6 8 AM-noon 13 Noon-4 PM 15 4 РМ-8 РМ 12 8 PM-midnight| 9
A1 Credit provides credit information to its customers
throughout the country, 24 hours per day. Credit representatives
answer customer calls and provide information. Based on demand
patterns, the estimated number of representatives needed during
four-hour time periods of each day are shown in the table.
Employees work shift s of eight consecutive hours, and shift s
can start at the beginning of any of the six periods shown in
the table. Assume this
so that someone starting at 8 pm will contribute to the need for
representatives in the midnight–4 am time period. Th e supervisor
has been instructed to schedule employees so that all demands
can be met with a minimum possible number of employees.
(a) Formulate an LP to minimize the number of representatives
needed.
(b) Set up and solve the problem on a spreadsheet.
(c) What is the optimal solution? Explain the rationale for the
solution.
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