An Actor-Oriented Model of a Service Provision

Abstract

The development of valid and efficient plans for service provision is a critical success factor for companies. Adequate planning assures the optimal use of resources, customer satisfaction, and the attainment of service targets in an acceptable period of time. Where these plans are incorrect or provide only a small contribution to the objectives of the company, resources are wasted and opportunities are missed. The problem of planning an efficient service provision can be described in the form of tasks that must be scheduled subject to precedence and resource constraints. Consequently, an analysis of existing scheduling models from the perspective of service providers is necessary to use them in the field of service management. The purpose of this paper is to provide a formal description of an actor-oriented model of a service provision that can be used for person-centered simulation. Such a model defines the decision variables and constraints to be determined by a person or a software tool during service management. Finally, we provide insight into the use of a formal model in case of a simulation study.