通过预测建模改善服务使用：一个数学支持中心的案例研究

IF 1.9 3区工程技术 Q3 MANAGEMENT

IMA Journal of Management Mathematics Pub Date : 2021-09-28 DOI:10.1093/imaman/dpab035

E. Howard, Anthony Cronin

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引用次数: 0

摘要

在高等教育中，学生学习支持中心是非平稳需求的无需预约服务的例子。对许多中心来说，主要支出是导师工资；因此，优化导师数量和确保这方面的资金价值是关键。在都柏林大学学院，数学支持中心开发了一个软件系统，该系统以电子方式记录每个学生排队的时间、他们与导师的开始时间以及与导师的相处时间。在本文中，我们展示了如何使用25702次学生访问和导师时间表数据的数据分析来识别繁忙和安静时期，这些数据跨越了6年。然后使用预测模型来估计未来MSC访客的等待时间。随后，我们将讨论如何将其用于人员配置优化，即确保在繁忙时间有足够的覆盖范围，并且在安静时间不会浪费资源。所述分析导致MSC减少了排队人数，并从超员工作时间中释放资金，以增加开放时间。所使用的方法很容易适用于任何繁忙的步入式服务，并且所引用的代码和数据是免费提供的：https://github.com/ehoward1/Math-Support-Centre-.

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Improving service use through prediction modelling: a case study of a mathematics support centre

In higher education, student learning support centres are examples of walk-in services with nonstationary demand. For many centres, the major expenditure is tutor wages; thus, optimizing tutor numbers and ensuring value for money in this area are key. In University College Dublin, the mathematics support centre (MSC) has developed a software system, which electronically records the time each student enters the queue, their start time with a tutor and time spent with a tutor. In this paper, we show how data analysis of 25,702 student visits and tutor timetable data, spanning 6 years, is used to identify busy and quiet periods. Prediction modelling is then used to estimate the waiting time for future MSC visitors. Subsequently, we discuss how this is used for staffing optimization, i.e. to ensure there is sufficient coverage for busy times and no resource wastage during quieter periods. The analysis described resulted in the MSC reducing the number of queue abandonments and releasing funds from overstaffed hours to increase opening hours. The methods used are easily adapted for any busy walk-in service, and the code and data referenced are freely available: https://github.com/ehoward1/Math-Support-Centre-.

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来源期刊

IMA Journal of Management Mathematics OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE-MATHEMATICS, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

17.60%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： The mission of this quarterly journal is to publish mathematical research of the highest quality, impact and relevance that can be directly utilised or have demonstrable potential to be employed by managers in profit, not-for-profit, third party and governmental/public organisations to improve their practices. Thus the research must be quantitative and of the highest quality if it is to be published in the journal. Furthermore, the outcome of the research must be ultimately useful for managers. The journal also publishes novel meta-analyses of the literature, reviews of the "state-of-the art" in a manner that provides new insight, and genuine applications of mathematics to real-world problems in the form of case studies. The journal welcomes papers dealing with topics in Operational Research and Management Science, Operations Management, Decision Sciences, Transportation Science, Marketing Science, Analytics, and Financial and Risk Modelling.