Operations Management

Scheduling

Dr Ravindra Ojha

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Sequencing: Example – SPT rule (B-D-A-C-E)
Job Sequence Job Work (Processing) Time Flow Time Job Due Date Job 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
Sum of total flow time
• Average completion time = = 65/5 = 13 days
Number of jobs
Total job (work) time
• Utilization metric = = 28/65 = 43.1%
Sum of total flow time
Sum of total flow time
• Average number of jobs in the system = = 65/28 = 2.32 jobs
Total job work time
Total late days
• Average job lateness = = 9/5 = 1.8 days
Number of jobs
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Sequencing: Example – EDD rule (B-A-D-C-E)
Job Sequence Job Work (Processing) Time Flow Time Job Due Date Job 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
Sum of total flow time
• Average completion time = = 68/5 = 13.6 days
Number of jobs
Total job (work) time
• Utilization metric = = 28/68 = 41.2%
Sum of total flow time
Sum of total flow time
• Average number of jobs in the system = = 68/28 = 2.43 jobs
Total job work time
Total late days
• Average job lateness = = 6/5 = 1.2 days
Number of jobs

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Sequencing: Example – LPT rule (E-C-A-D-B)
Job Sequence Job Work (Processing) Time Flow Time Job Due Date Job 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
Sum of total flow time
• Average completion time = = 103/5 = 20.6 days
Number of jobs
Total job (work) time
• Utilization metric = = 28/103 = 27.2%
Sum of total flow time
Sum of total flow time
• Average number of jobs in the system = = 103/28 = 3.68 jobs
Total job work time
Total late days
• Average job lateness = = 48/5 = 9.6 days
Number of jobs
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Sequencing: Example – CR rule (D-B-E-C-A)
Job Sequence Job Work (Processing) Time Flow Time Job Due Date Job Lateness
D 3 3 15 0
B 2 5 6 0
E 9 14 23 0
C 8 22 18 4
A 6 28 8 20
28 72 24
Sum of total flow time
• Average completion time = = 72/5 = 14.4 days
Number of jobs
Total job (work) time
• Utilization metric = = 28/72 = 38.8%
Sum of total flow time
Sum of total flow time
• Average number of jobs in the system = = 72/28 = 2.57 jobs
Total job work time
Total late days
• Average job lateness = = 24/5 = 4.8 days
Number of jobs
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Sequencing: Example – Summary

Average Average
Rule Completion Utilization Number of Jobs Average
Time (Days) Metric (%) in System Lateness (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
CR 14.4 38.8 2.57 4.8

From the table, it is evident that SPT should be the sequencing rule
adopted as it has the best results (all four) when compared to the
other priority rules.

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Service Operation Scheduling

• Service providers like hospitals, banks, airlines and retail

shops also have scheduling issues.
• Service scheduling differs from manufacturing scheduling.
o Manufacturing scheduling focusses more on machines and
material, while service scheduling focusses on staffing levels.
o Inventories smoothen the demand in manufacturing, while
service systems often maintain no inventory.
o Service is labour intensive and the demand for labour can be
highly variable which is based on demand and absenteeism.
o Legal considerations such as laws on wages and hours, union
contracts limit hours worked / shifts / weeks / months are
constraints.
o Social, fatigue, seniority and status issues complicate
scheduling in services.
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Service Operation Scheduling

• The four key performance metrics in the scheduling priority rules are
completion time, utilization, jobs in the system and lateness.
• Service scheduling may involve scheduling customers, workforce
and equipment.
• Scheduling the workforce: Cyclical scheduling (7 days x 24 hrs operation
at call centers).

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Summary

01 Scheduling aids operational control in manufacturing and service

systems.

02 Job shops are far more complex to schedule than simple flow shops.

03 The priority rules – FCFS, SPT, LPT, EDD and CR – are used commonly in
scheduling job shops.

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