Cross-Training is an effective training technology which results in employee motivation and problemsolving. A good cross-training plan can encourage employees to learn more about all sides of the business and is able to jump in to help anytime, anywhere when other departments need to be...

In this paper, we present a new perspective on flexibility in manufacturing and service operations by exploring a type of operational flexibility that we term Üstructural flexibility (SF).Ý We focus on strategic-level issues of how flexibility can be created by using multipurpose resources...

Operations management (OM) and human resources management (HRM) historically have been very separate fields. In practice, operations managers and human resource managers interact primarily on administrative issues regarding payroll and other matters. In academia, the two subjects are studied by...

Paced or Synchronous assembly lines are a popular class of assembly systems consisting of a series of assembly stations arranged in tandem. Every job (or order) visits all assembly stations in the same sequence and spends the same amount of time (known as the production cycle) at each station....

Call centers usually handle several types of calls, but it is usually not possible or cost effective to have every agent be able to handle every type of call. Thus, the agents tend to have different skills, in different combinations. In such an environment, it is challenging to route calls...

This paper seeks to offer insight into cross training strategies that could be effective in aiding in alleviating the nurse shortage issue and its potential to negatively impact on patient safety and mortality. We develop optimization models to evaluate the benefits of cross-training, in...