Article ID: | iaor1990294 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 20 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page Number: | 83 |
End Page Number: | 96 |
Publication Date: | Jan 1990 |
Journal: | Interfaces |
Authors: | Spencer Thomas, Brigandi Anthony J., Dargon Dennis R., Sheehan Michael J. |
Keywords: | marketing |
Over 180000 telemarketing centers in the United States employ over 2000000 people. Because of the rapid growth in the telemarketing industry, site location has become a critical problem. The National Technical Center came to Business Operations Analysis to develop a decision support system to help AT&T customers determine ‘good’ locations for their telemarketing centers. The core of the system is a mixed integer programming model which minimizes labor, communications, and real-estate costs, while determining the optimal number, location of centers, and geographic regions to be served. In 1988, 46 AT&T customers made decisions on site locations swiftly and confidently, while committing to $375 million in annual network services and $31 million in equipment sales.