Scheduling

Dr. Kush Mehta

 Learning Objectives
 Explain what scheduling involves and the importance
of good scheduling.
 Discuss scheduling needs in high-volume and
intermediate-volume systems.
 Use and interpret Gantt charts, and use the assignment
method for loading.
 Discuss and give examples of commonly used priority
rules.
 Describe some of the unique problems encountered in
service systems, and describe some of the approaches
used for scheduling service systems.

2
 Scheduling
 Scheduling: Establishing the timing of the use of
equipment, facilities and human activities in an
organization
– Short run machine, manpower and production scheduling
– Routing (determining where the work is to be done)
– Dispatching (issuing the order to begin work)
– Expediting (speeding the progress of late, critical jobs)
– Sequencing (determing when the work is to be done)
 Effective scheduling can yield
– Cost savings
– Increases in productivity

3
4
 Scheduling Process
• Loading
– Assign specific jobs to machines based on “routing”
– Determine load at various work-centers based on
amount of work assigned
• Sequencing
– Establish priorities at workstations based on predefined
criteria and sequencing rules
• Detailed scheduling
– Determine calendar start and finish times
• Expediting
– Special actions to ensure timeliness of job completion

5
 Sequencing
 Sequencing: Determine the order in which
jobs at a work center will be processed.
 Workstation: An area where one person
works, usually with special equipment, on a
specialized job.
 Priority rules: Simple heuristics used to select
the order in which jobs will be processed.
 Job time: Time needed for setup and
processing of a job
6
 Priority Rules
 FCFS - first come, first served
 SPT - shortest processing time
 EDD - earliest due date
 CR - critical ratio
– Time remaining until due date/ processing time
remaining
 S/O - slack per operation
 Rush - emergency
7
 Assumptions of Priority Rules
 The setup of jobs is known
 Setup time is independent of processing
sequence
 Setup time is deterministic
 There will be no interruptions in processing
such as:
– Machine breakdowns
– Accidents
– Worker illness
8
 Sequencing Example
Apply the four popular sequencing rules to
these five jobs

Job Work Job Due

(Processing) Time Date
Job (Days) (Days)
A 6 8
B 2 6
C 8 18
D 3 15
E 9 23

9
 Sequencing Example
FCFS: Sequence A-B-C-D-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
A 6 6 8 0
B 2 8 6 2
C 8 16 18 0
D 3 19 15 4
E 9 28 23 5
28 77 11

10
 Sequencing Example
FCFS: Sequence A-B-C-D-E
Total flow time
Average completionJob timeWork
= = 77/5 = 15.4 days
Job (Processing) Number Flowof jobs
Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
Total job work time
A Utilization = 6 Total flow time =628/77 = 36.4%
8 0
B 2 8 6 2
Average number of Total flow time
jobs in = = 77/28 = 2.75 jobs
C the system 8 Total job work 16 time 18 0
D 3 19 days
Total late 15 4
Average job lateness = = 11/5 = 2.2 days
E 9 Number28of jobs 23 5
28 77 11

11
 Sequencing Example
SPT: Sequence B-D-A-C-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
B 2 2 6 0
D 3 5 15 0
A 6 11 8 3
C 8 19 18 1
E 9 28 23 5
28 65 9

12
 Sequencing Example
SPT: Sequence B-D-A-C-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
B 2 2 6 0
D 3 5 15 0
A 6 11 8 3
C 8 19 18 1
E 9 28 23 5
28 65 9

13
 Sequencing Example
SPT: Sequence B-D-A-C-E
Total flow time
Average completionJob timeWork
= = 65/5 = 13 days
Job (Processing) Number Flow of jobs
Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
Total job work time
B Utilization = 2 Total flow time =228/65 = 43.1%
6 0
D 3 5 15 0
Average number of Total flow time
jobs in = = 65/28 = 2.32 jobs
A the system 6 Total job work 11 time 8 3
C 8 19 days 18
Total late 1
Average job lateness = = 9/5 = 1.8 days
E 9 Number 28 jobs 23
of 5
28 65 9

14
 Sequencing Example
EDD: Sequence B-A-D-C-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
B 2 2 6 0
A 6 8 8 0
D 3 11 15 0
C 8 19 18 1
E 9 28 23 5
28 68 6

15
 Sequencing Example
EDD: Sequence B-A-D-C-E
Total flow time
Average completionJob timeWork
= = 68/5 = 13.6 days
Job (Processing) Number Flowof jobs
Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
Total job work time
B Utilization = 2 Total flow time =228/68 = 41.2%
6 0
A 6 8 8 0
Average number of Total flow time
jobs in = = 68/28 = 2.43 jobs
D the system 3 Total job work 11 time 15 0
C 8 19 days 18
Total late 1
Average job lateness = = 6/5 = 1.2 days
E 9 Number 28 jobs 23
of 5
28 68 6

16
 Sequencing Example
LPT: Sequence E-C-A-D-B
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
E 9 9 23 0
C 8 17 18 0
A 6 23 8 15
D 3 26 15 11
B 2 28 6 22
28 103 48

17
 Sequencing Example
LPT: Sequence E-C-A-D-B

Average completion timeJob =Work Total flow=time 103/5 = 20.6 days

Job (Processing) Number Flow of jobsJob Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
Total job work time
EUtilization = 9Total flow time= 928/103 = 27.2%
23 0
C 8 17 18 0
Average number of Total flow time
jobs inAthe system = = 103/28 = 3.68 jobs
6 Total job work23 time 8 15
D 3 26 days
Total late 15 11
Average job lateness = = 48/5 = 9.6 days
B 2 Number28of jobs 6 22
28 103 48

18
 Sequencing Example
Summary of Rules

Average Average Number Average

Completion Utilization of Jobs in Lateness
Rule Time (Days) (%) System (Days)
FCFS 15.4 36.4 2.75 2.2

SPT 13.0 43.1 2.32 1.8

EDD 13.6 41.2 2.43 1.2

LPT 20.6 27.2 3.68 9.6

19
 Critical Ratio (CR)
 An index number found by dividing the time
remaining until the due date by the work time
remaining on the job
 Jobs with low critical ratios are scheduled
ahead of jobs with higher critical ratios
 Performs well on average job lateness criteria
Time remaining Due date - Today’s date
CR = =
Workdays remaining Work (lead) time remaining

20
 Critical Ratio Technique
Currently Day 25

Due Workdays Priority

Job Date Remaining Critical Ratio Order

A 30 4 (30 - 25)/4 = 1.25 3

B 28 5 (28 - 25)/5 = .60 1

C 27 2 (27 - 25)/2 = 1.00 2

With CR < 1, Job B is late. Job C is just on schedule and Job A has some slack time.

21
 Example

Average
Average Average Number of
Flow Time Tardiness Jobs at the
Rule (days) (days) Work Center
FCFS 20.00 9.00 2.93
SPT 18.00 6.67 2.63
EDD 18.33 6.33 2.68
CR 22.17 9.67 3.24

22
 Two Work Center Sequencing
 Johnson’s Rule: technique for minimizing
completion time for a group of jobs to be
processed on two machines or at two work
centers.
 Minimizes total idle time
 Several conditions must be satisfied

23
 Johnson’s Rule Conditions
 Job time must be known and constant
 Job times must be independent of sequence
 Jobs must follow same two-step sequence
 Job priorities cannot be used
 All units must be completed at the first
work center before moving to second

24
Johnson’s Rule Optimum Sequence
1.List all jobs and times for each work center
2.Choose the job with the shortest activity time.
If that time is in the first work center, schedule
the job first. If it is in the second work center,
schedule the job last.
3.Once a job is scheduled, it is eliminated from
the list
4.Repeat steps 2 and 3 working toward the
center of the sequence
25
 Johnson’s Rule Example

Work Center 1 Work Center 2

Job (Drill Press) (Lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12

26
 Johnson’s Rule Example

Work Center 1 Work Center 2

Job (Drill Press) (Lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
B E D C A
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12

27
 Johnson’s Rule Example
Work Center 1 Work Center 2
Job (Drill Press) (Lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
B E D C A
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12
Time 0 3 10 20 28 33

WC
1 B E D C A

WC
2

28
 Johnson’s Rule Example
Work Center 1 Work Center 2
Job (Drill Press) (Lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
B E D C A
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12
Time 0 3 10 20 28 33

WC
1 B E D C A

WC
2 B E D C A

Time 0 1 3 5 7 9 10 11 12 13 17 19 21 22 23 25 27 29 31 33 35

B E D C A 29
 Assignment Problem
 Hungarian Method: method of assigning jobs
by a one-for one matching to identify the low
cost solution

30
 Assignment Algorithm

• Mathematical (linear, integer) programming approach

• Used when # of jobs = # of work centers
• Each machine must be assigned only one job
• Impacts of assignments must be quantifiable
• Static
Minimize σ𝑖 σ 𝑐𝑖𝑗𝑥𝑖𝑗 (i= j)
subject to σ𝑖 σ 𝑥𝑖𝑗 = 1
෍ 𝑥𝑖𝑗 = 1

xij = 1 or xij = 0

31
 Assignment Algorithm
Manual Solution
• Make a matrix of cost of assigning job i to machine j
• Column reduction
– For each column, choose the least entry and subtract it from
each entry in the column. Create a new matrix with these
differences as entries
• Row reduction
– For each row, select the minimum entry and subtract it from
each entry in the row. Create a new matrix with these
differences as entries
• Cover the zeros
– Draw a vertical and horizontal line through all consecutive
and isolated zeros. Use the minimum number of lines to cover
the zeros.

32
 Assignment Algorithm (cont’d.)
• Create new zeros
– If the minimum number of lines is less than the number of work centers, choose the
least non-zero uncovered entry
– Subtract it from all uncovered entries including itself
– Add it to each zero entry at the intersection of two lines
– The entries through which only one line passes remain unchanged
– Cover the zeros again. If the number of lines is less than the number of work centers,
repeat.
• Make load assignments
– If the minimum number of lines equals the number of work centers, the optimal
assignments are at the zero entries in the matrix
– If a row contains just one zero, make that assignment first
– Remaining assignments are made by examining the rows and choosing unassigned
zero entries

33
 Assignment Algorithm (cont’d.)
• Create new zeros
– If the minimum number of lines is less than the number of work centers, choose the
least non-zero uncovered entry
– Subtract it from all uncovered entries including itself
– Add it to each entry at the intersection of two lines
– The entries through which only one line passes remain unchanged
– Cover the zeros again. If the number of lines is less than the number of work centers,
repeat.

• Make load assignments

– If the minimum number of lines equals the number of work centers, the optimal
assignments are at the zero entries in the matrix
– If a row contains just one zero, make that assignment first
– Remaining assignments are made by examining the rows and choosing unassigned
zero entries

34
 Assignment Example
• You have four machines and four jobs to be completed. Each
machine must be assigned to complete one job. The time
required to set up each machine for completing each job is
shown in the table. You want to minimize the total setup time
needed to complete the four jobs. Which jobs will you assign to
each machine?
Job 1 Job 2 Job 3 Job 4
Machine 1 14 5 8 7
Machine 2 2 12 6 5
Machine 3 7 8 3 9
Machine 4 2 4 6 10

35
 Assignment Example
Solution
Job 1 Job 2 Job 3 Job 4
Machine 1 14 5 8 7
Machine 2 2 12 6 5
Machine 3 7 8 3 9
Machine 4 2 4 6 10
Total
Assignments 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 1
0 0 1 0 1
1 0 0 0 1

Total 1 1 1 1

Total cost 15
36
Assignment Problem – Example
Cij 1 2 3 4
1 23 45 62 13
2 19 22 40 33
3 26 52 12 80
4 49 55 36 41
37
 Solution
Cij 1 2 3 4
96
1 23 45 62 13
2 19 22 40 33
3 26 52 12 80
4 49 55 36 41

Cij 1 2 3 4 Sum
1 0 0 0 1 1
2 0 1 0 0 1
3 0 0 1 0 1
4 1 0 0 0 1
Sum 1 1 0 1

38
 Gantt chart
 Gantt chart - used as a visual aid for loading
and scheduling
Work Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.
Center
1 Job 3 Job 4
2 Job 3 Job 7
3 Job 1 Job 6 Job 7
4 Job 10

39
40