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Call Center Outsourcing Contract Analysis and Choice

Author

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  • O. Zeynep Akc{s}in

    (College of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Koç University, 34450 Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey)

  • Francis de Véricourt

    (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 34450)

  • Fikri Karaesmen

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, Koç University, 34450 Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey)

Abstract

This paper considers a call center outsourcing contract analysis and choice problem faced by a contractor and a service provider. The service provider receives an uncertain call volume over multiple periods and is considering outsourcing all or part of these calls to a contractor. Each call brings in a fixed revenue to the service provider. Answering calls requires having service capacity; thus implicit in the outsourcing decision is a capacity decision. Insufficient capacity implies that calls cannot be answered, which in turn means there will be a revenue loss. Faced with a choice between a volume-based and a capacity-based contract offered by a contractor that has pricing power, the service provider determines optimal capacity levels. The optimal price and capacity of the contractor together with the optimal capacity of the service provider determine optimal profits of each party under the two contracts being considered. This paper characterizes optimal capacity levels and partially characterizes optimal pricing decisions under each contract. The impact of demand variability and the economic parameters on contract choice are explored through numerical examples. It is shown that no contract type is universally preferred and that operating environments as well as cost-revenue structures have an important effect.

Suggested Citation

  • O. Zeynep Akc{s}in & Francis de Véricourt & Fikri Karaesmen, 2008. "Call Center Outsourcing Contract Analysis and Choice," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(2), pages 354-368, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:2:p:354-368
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1070.0823
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    Cited by:

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    2. Benaroch, Michel & Webster, Scott & Kazaz, Burak, 2012. "Impact of sourcing flexibility on the outsourcing of services under demand uncertainty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 219(2), pages 272-283.
    3. Kai-Lung Hui & Ping Fan Ke & Yuxi Yao & Wei T. Yue, 2019. "Bilateral Liability-Based Contracts in Information Security Outsourcing," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(2), pages 411-429, June.
    4. Yiting Xing & Ling Li & Zhuming Bi & Marzena Wilamowska‐Korsak & Li Zhang, 2013. "Operations Research (OR) in Service Industries: A Comprehensive Review," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 300-353, May.
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    7. Bettina Freitag & Lukas Häfner & Verena Pfeuffer & Jochen Übelhör, 2020. "Evaluating investments in flexible on-demand production capacity: a real options approach," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(1), pages 133-161, April.
    8. Zhu, Xiaowei, 2016. "Managing the risks of outsourcing: Time, quality and correlated costs," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 121-133.
    9. James W. Taylor, 2012. "Density Forecasting of Intraday Call Center Arrivals Using Models Based on Exponential Smoothing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(3), pages 534-549, March.
    10. Guillaume Roels, 2014. "Optimal Design of Coproductive Services: Interaction and Work Allocation," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 578-594, October.
    11. Z. Justin Ren & Yong-Pin Zhou, 2008. "Call Center Outsourcing: Coordinating Staffing Level and Service Quality," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(2), pages 369-383, February.
    12. Opher Baron & Joseph Milner, 2009. "Staffing to Maximize Profit for Call Centers with Alternate Service-Level Agreements," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(3), pages 685-700, June.
    13. Benjamin Legros, 2021. "Age-based Markovian approximation of the G/M/1 queue," Post-Print hal-03605431, HAL.
    14. Qi Feng & Lauren Xiaoyuan Lu, 2012. "The Strategic Perils of Low Cost Outsourcing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1196-1210, June.
    15. Wang, Haiyan & Olsen, Tava Lennon & Liu, Guiqing, 2018. "Service capacity competition with peak arrivals and delay sensitive customers," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 80-95.
    16. Berling, Peter & Eng-Larsson, Fredrik, 2017. "Environmental implications of transport contract choice - capacity investment and pricing under volume and capacity contracts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 261(1), pages 129-142.
    17. Joseph M. Milner & Tava Lennon Olsen, 2008. "Service-Level Agreements in Call Centers: Perils and Prescriptions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(2), pages 238-252, February.
    18. Nitin Bakshi & Sang-Hyun Kim & Nicos Savva, 2015. "Signaling New Product Reliability with After-Sales Service Contracts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(8), pages 1812-1829, August.
    19. Xu, Xiaoyan & Cheng, Xiaoying & Sun, Yanhong, 2015. "Coordination contracts for outsourcing supply chain with financial constraint," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 134-142.
    20. Xiaowei Zhu, 2017. "Outsourcing management under various demand Information Sharing scenarios," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 257(1), pages 449-467, October.
    21. Mustafa Akan & Bar{i}c{s} Ata & Martin A. Lariviere, 2011. "Asymmetric Information and Economies of Scale in Service Contracting," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 13(1), pages 58-72, September.
    22. Hsiao-Hui Lee & Edieal J. Pinker & Robert A. Shumsky, 2012. "Outsourcing a Two-Level Service Process," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(8), pages 1569-1584, August.

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