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...

We examine how operational changes in customer flows in retail stores affect the rate of COVID-19 transmission. We combine a model of customer movement with two models of disease transmission: direct exposure when two customers are in close proximity and wake exposure when one customer is in the...

The majority of COVID-19 vaccines currently available are typically administered in two doses, with a prescribed number of weeks separating the two doses. Because of uncertainty in vaccine supply, many vaccination managers have saved doses in inventory to ensure on-time second doses. However,...