Assignment problems (One question in University Examination)

Assignment problem is a special type of linear programming problem which

deals with the allocation of the various resources to the various activities on one
to one basis. It does it in such a way that the cost or time involved in the process
is minimum and profit or sale is maximum.

Assignment problems are solved using Hungarian Assignment Method

(HAM). Following are the steps to solve Assignment problems: -

1. Check weather number of Rows and Column are equal, if not introduce a
dummy row or column depending on the problem value of dummy row or
column will be zero
2. Perform Row minima by selecting smallest value in each row.
3. Perform Column minimization by selecting smallest value in each
column, column minimisation will be performed on row minimisation
table.
4. Try to cut all zeros with minimum number of lines, start cutting the row
or column with maximum zeros. If number of lines are equal to row or
column solution is optimal if not perform and create further reduced
matrix.
5. Select the smallest unoccupied value from the entire matrix, if there is a
single line value remains unchanged if there are 2 lines add the selected
value if there are no lines reduce the selected value.
6. Repeat step 5 till number of lines required to cut all zeros are equal to
number of rows or column.
7. Prepare Optimal assignment table by allocating lowest cost to each value.

Special cases in Assignment problems: -

1. Unbalanced problems (Dummy case)

2. Alternate Optimal Solution (More than one solution for the same
problem)
3. Prohibited route problem (One or two routes are blocked)
4. Maximisation problem (Regret matrix case)
5. Maximisation plus dummy case (first create dummy and then solve for
regret matrix)

Practical Problems
1) In a plant 4 employees are to be assigned 4jobs on one to one basis the
cost in Rs. Thousand for each employee to do each job is given. Find
the optimal combination of employees and job to minimize total cost

Job P Q R S
Employee
A 60 50 40 45
B 40 45 55 30

C 55 70 60 50
D 45 45 40 45

2) In a factory there are 5 employees and 5 jobs are to be done on a one

to one basis. Time required (in min) is given for each employee job
combination. Find optimal solution assignment of employees & jobs
to minimize total time.

Job A B C D E
Employee
I 160 130 175 190 200
II 135 120 130 160 175

III 140 110 155 170 185

IV 50 50 80 80 110
 V 55 35 70 80 105

3) In a factory 4 workers are there and 4 jobs are to be done. Time

required for each worker and jobs is given in minutes. Find optimal
assignment of workers and jobs and optimal total time.
Is this a case of alternate optimal solution? If yes, show alternate
optimal solution.
Job J1 J2 J3 J4
Worker
4) A c o m p a n y h a s
W1 120 100 80 90
only one
W2 80 90 110 70

W3 110 140 120 100

W4 90 90 80 90

machine. The cost of each job-machine combination is given in the

table below in Rupees.

Job I II III IV
Worker

A 9 12 14 18

B 4 6 8 9

C 5 7 9 11

Find optimal assignment which will minimize the cost.

Answer the following questions:
1. Is there any alternate solution?
2. Is it possible to maintain the same minimum cost as per optimal
solution if job B is assigned to either machine II or machine III?
 3. Dose any machine remain idle as per optimal assignment?

5) In the modification of a plant layout of a factory BMS auto parts, four

new machines M1, M2, M3 and M4 are to be installed in a machine
shop. There are 5 vacant places A, B, C, D and E which are suitable
for the installation. Because of extra-large size, M2 cannot be placed
at C and M3 cannot be placed at A. The cost of installing machines
location wise in hundred rupees is as follows:

A B C D E
M1 9 11 15 10 11
M2 12 9 X 10 9

M3 X 11 14 11 7
M4 14 8 12 7 8
Find optimal assignment

6) A sales manager has to assign salesman to four territories. He has four

candidates of varying experience and capacities. The manager assess
the possible profit for each salesman in each territory as given below

Salesman Territory

T1 T2 T3 T4
S1 35 27 28 37

S2 28 34 29 40

S3 35 24 32 33

S4 24 32 25 28

Find optimal assignment of salesman to the territories so total profit is

maximum.
 7) The following is the cost matrix (cost in Rs. 1000) of assigning 4
clerks to 4 key purchasing jobs. Clerk 1 cannot be assigned to job.

Jobs

Clerks J1 J2 J3 J4
1 M 5 2 0

2 4 7 5 6

3 5 8 4 3

4 3 6 6 2
Find optimal assignment to minimize total cost. Each clerk can handle only one
job. Write an alternate optimal solution if it exits
8) A company solicits bids on each of the 4 projects from five
contractors. Only one project may be assigned to any contractor. The
bids received (in thousands of rupees) are given in the accompanying
table. Contractor D feels unable to carry out projects 3 and therefore,
submits on bid.

Jobs Contractor
A B C D E

1 18 25 22 26 25
2 26 29 26 27 24
3 28 31 30 M 31
4 26 28 27 26 19

a) Use the Hungarian method to find the sets of assignments.

b) What is the minimum total achievable cost?
09) The following information is available regarding 4 different jobs to be
performed about the clerks capable of performing the jobs. Cost of each
assignment is given in the table below:

Jobs(cost in hundred rupees)

A B C D
I 4 7 5 6
CLERKS II M 8 7 6
III 3 M 5 3
IV 8 6 4 2

10)Titanic Inc has required 15th floor of a building having 4 rooms to locate its
regional office. These rooms are to be assigned one room each to one manager.
Each room has its own advantage and disadvantages. Each of the managers are
asked to rank their rooms 1501,1502, 1503 and 1504. Their preference were
recorded as follows:
Manager

M1 M2 M3 M4
1502 1501 1503 1502

1503 1504 1501 1504

1504 ___ 1502 1503

___ ___ 1504 ___

Most of the manager did not list all the rooms since they were not satisfied with
some of these rooms. Assuming that preferences can be qualified by ranks, find
as to which manager should be assigned to which room so that their total
preference ranking in minimised. (small rank means highest preference)
11) An engineering company has branches in Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi and
Nagpur. A branch manager is to be appointed one at each city, out of 4
candidates A, B, C and D. Depending on the branch manager and the city, the
monthly business in the city varies in lakhs of rupees as per details below:
Branch City
Manager
Mumbai Calcutta Delhi Nagpur
A 2 3 1 1
B 5 8 3 3
C 4 9 5 1
D 8 7 8 4

Suggest which manager should be assigned to which city so as to get maximum

total monthly business
12) A college head of the department has to provide teachers to all courses
offered by his department for imparting highest possible quality of
education. He has got three professor and one teaching assistant .4 courses
must be offered. After detailed analysis and evaluation the head of the
department has arrived at the following relative ratings (100= best rating)
regarding the ability of each instructor to teach each of the 4 courses
respectively.

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 Course 4

Professor 1 60 40 60 70
Professor 2 20 60 50 70
Professor 3 20 30 40 60
TA 30 10 30 40

How should the head of the department assign his staff to the courses to
optimize educational quality in his department?
13) A company has 4 sales executives which need to be appointed on one to one
basis in three sales territories. Profit potential for each executive territory
combination is given in Rs. Thousand. Find optimal assignment of executives
and territories to maximize total profit. Which sales executive will remain
idle?
Profit (in territory Rs’000)
Territory T1 T2 T3
Executive
E1 60 67 90
E2 80 83 95
E3 70 72 82

E4 85 95 110

14) The Funny Toys Company has four men available for work on four separate
jobs. Only one man can work on any one job. The cost of assigning each man to
each job is given in the following table. The objective is to assign men to jobs in
such a way that the total cost of assignment is minimum.
JOB
WORKER 1 2 3 4

A 20 25 22 28

B 15 18 23 17

C 19 17 21 24

D 25 23 24 24
Hungarian Method: is a technique of solving assignment problems.

Assignment Problem: is a special kind of linear programming problem where the

objective is to minimize the assignment cost or time.

Balanced Assignment Problem: is an assignment problem where the number of

persons equal to the number of jobs.

Unbalanced Assignment Problem: is an assignment problem where the number of jobs

is not equal to the number of persons.

Infeasible Assignment Problem: is an assignment problem where a particular person

is unable to perform a particular job or certain job cannot be done by certain machines.