This paper studies outsourcing decisions for a two-level service process in which the first level serves as a gatekeeper for a second level of experts. The objective of the system operator (the client) is to minimize the sum of staffing costs, customer waiting costs, and mistreatment costs due...

Many service systems use case managers, servers who are assigned multiple customers and have frequent, repeated interactions with each customer until the customer’s service is completed. Examples may be found in health care (emergency department physicians), contact centers (agents handling...