Chapter 2: Manufacturing Models

Phan Nguyen Ky Phuc

November 13, 2018

Contents

1 Basic Definitions 1

2 Processing Characteristics and Constraints 2

3 Performance Measures and Objectives 3

4 Assignment 4

1 Basic Definitions

Job: Static Data

• Processing time (pij ) The processing time pij represents the time job j has to spend on machine i.

• Release day (rj ) The release date rj of job j is also known as the ready date. It is the time the job
arrives at the system, i.e., the earliest time at which job j can start its processing.

• Weight wj The weight wj of job j is a priority factor, reflecting the importance of job j relative to
other jobs in the system. It may represent the cost of keeping job j in the system for one time unit.

Job: Dynamic Data

• Starting Time (Sij ) The starting time Sij is the time when job j starts its processing on machine i.

• Completion Time (Cj ) The completion time Cij is the time when job j is completed on machine i.

Machine Configuration

• Single Machine Models.

• Parallel Machine Models. The parallel machines can be identical or nonidentical

• Flow Shop Models. In many manufacturing and assembly settings, jobs have to undergo multiple
operations on a number of different machines. If the routes of all jobs are identical, i.e., all jobs visit
the same machines in the same sequence, the environment is referred to as a flow shop.

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Ho Chi Minh City International University Scheduling
Industrial Systems Engineering Department Lecturer: Phan Nguyen Ky Phuc

• Job Shop Models. In multi-operation shops, jobs often have different routes. Such an environment
is referred to as a job shop, which is a generalization of a flow shop (a flow shop is a job shop in which
each and every job has the same route).

• Supply Chain Models. This planning and scheduling may focus on the actual production in the
various facilities as well as on the transportation of the products within the network

2 Processing Characteristics and Constraints

Precedence Constraints. In scheduling problems a job often can start only after a given set of other jobs
has been completed. Such constraints are referred to as precedence constraints and can be described by a
precedence constraints graph.
Machine Eligibility Constraints. In a parallel machine environment, it may often be the case that job

Figure 1: Precedence Constraints

j cannot be assigned to just any one of the machines available; it can only go on a machine that belongs to a
specific subset Mj . As described earlier, this may occur when the m machines in parallel are not all exactly
identical.
Workforce Constraints. A machine often requires one or more specific operators to process a job and a
facility may have only a few people who can operate such a machine. Jobs that need processing on such a
machine may have to wait until one of these operators becomes available.
Routing Constraints. Routing constraints specify the route a job must follow through a system, e.g., a
flow shop or job shop. A given job may consist of a number of operations that have to be processed in a
given sequence or order.
Handling Constraints. A material handling system enforces a strong dependency between the starting
time of any given operation and the completion times of its predecessors. Moreover, the presence of a
material handling system often limits the amount of buffer space, which in turn limits the amount of Work-
In-Process.
Sequence Dependent Setup Times and Costs. Machines often have to be reconfigured or cleaned
between jobs. This is known as a changeover or setup. If the length of the setup depends on the job just
completed and on the one about to be started, then the setup times are sequence dependent. If job j is
followed by job k on machine i, then the setup time is denoted by sijk .
Storage Space and Waiting Time Constraints. In many production systems, especially those producing
bulky items, the amount of space available for Work-In-Process (WIP) storage is limited. This puts an upper
bound on the number of jobs waiting for a machine. In flow shops this can cause blocking. Suppose the

Chapter 2: Manufacturing Models Page 2

Ho Chi Minh City International University Scheduling
Industrial Systems Engineering Department Lecturer: Phan Nguyen Ky Phuc

storage space (buffer) between two successive machines is limited.

Make-to-Stock and Make-to-Order. A manufacturing facility may opt to keep items in stock for which
there is a steady demand and no risk of obsolescence. This decision to Make-To-Stock affects the scheduling
process, because items that have to be produced for inventory do not have tight due dates. Make-to-Order
jobs, conversely, have specific due dates, and the amount produced is determined by the customer.
Preemptions. Sometimes, during the execution of a job, an event occurs that forces the scheduler to
interrupt the processing of that job in order to make the machine available for another job. This happens,
for instance, when a rush order with a high priority enters the system. The job taken off the machine is said
to be preempted.
Transportation Constraints. If multiple manufacturing facilities are linked to one another in a network,
then the planning and scheduling of the supply chain becomes important. The transportation time between
m
any two facilities a and b is known and denoted by τab (i.e., the time required to move the products from
facility a to facility b).

3 Performance Measures and Objectives

Throughput and Makespan Objectives. In many facilities maximizing the throughput is of the utmost
importance and managers are often measured by how well they do so. The makespan is important when
there are a finite number of jobs. The makespan is denoted by Cmax and is defined as the time when the
last job leaves the system, i.e.,
Cmax = max(C1 , C2 , ..., Cn )

Due Date Related Objectives. There are several important objectives that are related to due dates.
First, the scheduler is often concerned with minimizing the maximum lateness. Job lateness is defined as
follows. Let dj denote the due date of job j. The lateness of job j is then

Lj = Cj − dj

The maximum lateness is defined as

Lmax = max(l1 , l2 , ..., ln )

A due date related objective that addresses this concern is the total tardiness or, equivalently, the average
tardiness. The tardiness of job j is defined as

Tj = max(Cj − dj , 0)

Then a more general version of the objective function is the total weighted tardiness
n
X
wj Tj
j=1

Setup Costs. It often pays to minimize the setup times when the through- put rate has to be maximized
or the makespan has to be minimized. However, there are situations with insignificant setup times sijk but
major setup costs csijk (if setup costs are the only costs in the model, then the superscript s may be omitted).
Setup costs are not necessarily proportional with setup times.
Work-In-Process Inventory Costs. Another important objective is the minimization of the Work-In-
Process (WIP) inventory. WIP ties up capital, and large amounts of it can clog up operations. WIP increases
handling costs, and older WIP can easily be damaged or become obsolete.
Finished Goods Inventory Costs. An important objective is to minimize the inventory costs of the

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Ho Chi Minh City International University Scheduling
Industrial Systems Engineering Department Lecturer: Phan Nguyen Ky Phuc

finished goods. The (holding) cost of keeping one item of type j in inventory for one time unit is denoted by
hj .
Transportation Costs. In networks that consist of many facilities the transportation costs may represent
a significant part of the total production costs. There are various modes of transportation, e.g., truck, rail,
air, and sea, and each mode has its own set of characteristics with regard to speed, cost and reliability. In
practice, the transportation cost per unit is often increasing concave in the quantity moved. However, in
this text the cost of transporting (moving) one unit of product from facility a to facility b is assumed to be
independent of the quantity moved.

4 Assignment

Q1. A contractor has decided to use project scheduling techniques for the construction of a building. The
jobs he has to do are listed in Table below. (a) Draw the precedence constraints graph.
(b) Compute the makespan of the project.
(c) If it would be possible to shorten one of the jobs by one week, which job should be shortened?

No. Job Description of Job Duration (in week) Immediate Predecessor(s)

1 Excavation 4 _
2 Foundations 2 1
3 Floor Joists 3 2
4 Exterior Plumbing 3 1
5 Floor 2 3,4
6 Power On 1 2
7 Walls 10 5
8 Wiring 2 6,7
9 Communication Lines 1 8
10 Inside Plumbing 5 7
11 Windows 2 10
12 Doors 2 10
13 Sheetrock 3 9,10
14 Interior Trim 5 12,13
15 Exterior Trim 4 12
16 Painting 3 11,14,15
17 Carpeting 1 16
18 Inspection 1 17

Q2. An important aspect of a schedule is its robustness. If there is a random perturbation in a robust
schedule (e.g., machine breakdown, unexpected arrival of a priority job, etc.), then the necessary changes in
the schedule are minimal. There is always a desire to have a schedule that is robust.
(a) Define a measure for the robustness of a schedule.
(b) Motivate your definition with a numerical example.

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