JOB SCHEDULING

Definition
 Selection of an appropriate order for a series of
jobs to be done on a finite number of
facilities(machines or equipment's) so as to
optimize the output in terms of time, cost or
profit.
 To determine the order or sequence in which the
jobs are to be processed through machines so as to
minimize the total processing time.
 Main function is to increase effectiveness which
may be time or cost by optimum loading of
facilities.
 Sequencing not a big problem if number of
jobs and machines are few.
 Can be solved by trial and error methods.
 Problems become complicated when number
of jobs and machines increases.
 For e.g for n machines and m jobs we have
(n!)m number of possible sequence.
 Cannot be done by trial and error methods.
 Different cases on Sequencing
 ‘n’ jobs are to be processed on 2 machines
In the system there are only two machines
A and B and there are n jobs. Each job is to
be processed on A and then B i.e., the order of
the machine is A, B.
 ‘n’ jobs are to be processed on 3 machines
In this system n jobs are processed on the
machines A,B,C.
 ‘n’ jobs are to be processed on ‘m’ machines
 2 jobs are to be processed on ‘m’ machines
 Assumptions underlying the
Sequencing problems
 All jobs are known and are ready for processing.
 Machines to be used are of different types i.e.,
only one machine of each type is available.
 Only one job can be processed on a given
machine at a time.
 Processing time are independent of the order of
the jobs.
 Once a job has begin on a machine, it must be
completed before its succeeding job can start.
 ‘n’ jobs and 2 machines
 If the number of jobs are only 2 or 3, can be
solved graphically.
 e.g. Machines (Time in hours)
Jobs A B
1 2 3
2 3 4

 Find the optimum sequence which minimizes the

total processing time if they are to be processed in
the order AB.
 Sequence 1 2
Machines (Time in hours)
Jobs A B
1 2 3
2 3 4
Machine A 0

Idle
Job 1
Job 2
Machine B 2

9
0 2 4 6 8 10

Total processing time= 9 hours

 Sequence 2 1

Machine A

Idle
Job 2
Job 1
Machine B 3

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Total processing time= 10 hours

Since sequence 1 2 has minimum time to finish the job, we follow that
sequence.
 ‘n’ jobs and 2 machines
 If the number of jobs are more than 3 then
analytical method is used.
 A method developed by Johnson and Bellman
for solving the sequencing problem has been
used.
 Johnson and Bellman Method
1. List the times to pass from Machine order say AB.
2. Select the shortest job time listed.
3. If the shortest processing time corresponds to machine
A, then assign the job as early as possible in the job
sequence.
 If the shortest job is by machine B, it is placed as late as
possible in the sequence.
 If there is a tie, either of the smallest processing time is
selected.
4. There are now (n-1) jobs left to be put in sequence.
Again repeat steps 1 to 3 and complete the sequence.
1. List the times to pass from Machine order say AB.
Machine J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6
/Job
A 0.4 0.7 0.3 1.2 1.1 0.9

B 1.1 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.3

2. Select the shortest job time listed.

J J J J J J
3 1 2 6 5 4
 Time to complete each job on each machine has been listed
 The lowest time element (0.3 hrs.) is taken by machine ‘A’ to complete job ‘J3’
 So J3 is scheduled as first job to complete.
 Similarly the second and third lowest time are taken by machine ‘A’ to complete
the job 1 and 2 respectively.
 So J1 and J2 are placed after J3.
 The next lowest time is 0.8 taken by machine ‘B’ to complete job 4.
 So J4 is scheduled at last.
 Following the similar process we finalize the sequencing of job scheduling.
 Total Processing Time
Machin J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6
e/Job
A 0.4 0.7 0.3 1.2 1.1 0.9

B 1.1 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.3

Optimum Machine A Machine B Machine idle time Job Idle

Sequence IN OUT IN OUT A B
J3 0 0+0.3=0.3 0.3 0.3+1.0=1.3 0.3
J1 0.3 0.7 1.3 2.4 0.6
J2 0.7 1.4 2.4 3.1 1
J6 1.4 2.3 3.1 4.4 0.8
J5 2.3 3.4 4.4 5.4 1
J4 3.4 4.6 5.4 6.2 1.6

Answer: Sequence J3 J1 J2 J6 J5 J4
Total time: 6.2 unit times
 Some Examples
 There are five jobs, which are to be processed
on two machines A and B in the order AB. The
processing times in hours for the jobs are given
below. Find the optimum sequence and total
elapsed time.

JOBS P Q R S T
Machine A (hrs.) 2 6 4 8 10
Machine B (hrs.) 3 1 5 9 7

Answer: Sequence P R S T Q
Total time: 32 hours
 A machine operator has to perform two
operations, turning and threading on a number
of different jobs. The time required to perform
these operations in minutes for each job is
given. Determine the order in which the jobs
should be processed in order to minimize the
total time requires to turn out all the jobs.

JOBS 1 2 3 4 5 6
Time for turning (min) 3 12 5 2 9 11
Time for threading (min) 8 10 9 6 3 1

Answer: Sequence 4 1 3 2 5 6
Total time: 43 minutes
 There are seven jobs, each of which has to be
processed on machines A and then on machine
B, processing time is given in hours. Find the
optimum sequence in which the jobs are to be
processed so as to minimize the total time
elapsed.

JOB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Machine A 3 12 15 6 10 11 9
Machine B 8 10 10 6 12 1 3

Answer: Sequence 1 4 5 3 2 7 6
Total time: 67 hours.
 Sequencing of ‘n’ jobs on 3 machines
 Let us consider ‘n’ jobs to be processed on 3 machines
say A, B and C in the order A,B and C.
 There is no direct method of sequencing 3 machines
problems.
 3 machine problems is converted into two machine
problems.
Procedure
 Identify the smallest time element in the first machine i.e.
machine A.
 Identify the smallest time element in the last machine i.e.
machine C.
 Identify the highest time element in the second machine i.e.
machine B.
 Now check for the following conditions.
Minimum time on machine A ≥ maximum time element in machine B
Minimum time on machine C ≥ maximum time element in machine B

If any one of the above condition satisfies, find out the time
element for two hypothetical machines say G and H as,

G = Ai + Bi
H = Bi + Ci

The 3 machines problem now converted into 2 machine problem

and can be solved by applying Johnson and Bellman rule.
Example
JOB 1 2 3 4 5 6
Machine A 3 12 5 2 9 11
Machine B 8 6 4 6 3 1
Machine C 13 14 9 12 8 13

Solution
Minimum time element in machine A = 2
Minimum time element in machine C = 8
Maximum time element in machine B = 8
Maximum time element in machine B = 8 = minimum time element in machine C

Hence the condition is satisfied, so

JOB 1 2 3 4 5 6
Machine G (Ai + Bi) 3 + 8 = 11 18 9 8 12 12
Machine H (Bi + Ci) 8 + 13 =21 20 13 18 11 14
 JOB 1 2 3 4 5 6
1
Machine G (Ai + Bi) 11 3 18 6 9 2 8 12 12 5
Machine H (Bi + Ci) 21 20 13 18 11 4 14

Now the sequence is

Optimum Machine A
J4 J3 J1 J6 J2 J5
Machine B Machine C Machine idle time Job
Sequence
Processing time Idle
IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT A B C
J4 0 2 2 8 8 20 2 8
J3 2 7 8 12 20 29 - 9
J1 7 10 12 20 29 42 0 11
J6 10 21 21 22 42 55 1 20
J2 21 33 33 39 55 69 11 16
J5 33 42 42 45 69 77 3 24

JOB 1 2 3 4 5 6
Machine A 3 12 5 2 9 11
Machine B 8 6 4 3 6 1
Machine C 13 Total 14 9 time =12 77 min8
Processing 13
 Example
There are 5 jobs each of which is to be processed on 3
machines A, B and C in the order ACB. The time required to
process in hours is given below. Find the optimal sequence and
the total elapsed time.

JOB 1 2 3 4 5
m/c A 3 8 7 5 4
m/c B 7 9 5 6 10
m/c C 4 5 1 2 3
 Processing of ‘n’ jobs on ‘m’
machines
Let’s consider ‘n’ jobs to be processed on ‘m’ machines m1, m2
m3……..mn-1, mn in the order m1 m2 m3….mn-1 mn
Procedure
a) Identify the minimum time element in the first machine i.e.
machine m1
b) Identify the minimum time element in the last machine i.e.
machine mn
c) Identify the maximum time element in the intermediate
machines i.e. machine m2 to machine mn-1
d) Now check for the following condition
Minimum time on machine m1 ≥ maximum time in machine m2 OR m3
OR…….mn-1
Minimum time on machine mn ≥ maximum time in machine m2 OR m3
OR…….mn-1
If both of the above condition satisfies, find out the time
element for two hypothetical machines say G and H as

G = m1+m2+m3+……..+mn-1
H = m2+m3+m4+………+mn

The ‘m’ machines problem now converted into 2 machine problem

and can be solved by applying Johnson and Bellman rule.
 Example
There are four jobs A, B, C and D which are to be processed on
machines M1, M2, M3 and M4 in the order M1 M2 M3 M4. the
processing time in hours is given below. Find the optimal sequence
and the total elapsed time.
JOB Machines
M1 M2 M3 M4
A 15 5 4 14
B 12 2 10 12
C 13 3 6 15

Solution D 16 0 3 19

Minimum time element in machine M1 = 12

Minimum time element in machine M4 = 12
Maximum time element in machine M2 = 5
Maximum time element in machine M3 = 10

Minimum time in machine M1 ˃ both maximum time in M2 and M3

 Hence the condition is satisfied, so
JOB A B C D
Machine G (M1+…Mn-1) 15 + 5 + 4 = 24 24 22 19
Machine H (M2 +…..Mn) 5 + 4 + 14 = 23 24 24 22
JOB Machines
Applying Johnson and Bellman rule, the optimum sequence is
M1 M2 M3 M4
D C B A
A 15 5 4 14
B 12 2 10 12
Processing time
C 13 3 6 15
Optimum m/c M1 m/c M2 m/c M3 m/c M4 Machine idle time Job
Sequence D 16 0 3 19 Idle
IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT M1 M2 M3 M4
D 0 16 16 16 16 19 19 38 16 19
C 16 29 29 32 32 38 38 53 29 13
B 29 41 41 43 43 53 53 65 9 5
A 41 56 56 61 61 65 65 79 23 18 14
 Processing of 2 jobs on ‘m’ machines
a) Represent job 1 on x-axis and job 2 on y-axis in the order of machining showing
the processing times.
b) Horizontal line on the graph shows the processing time of Job 1 and idle time of
Job 2. Vertical line shows processing time of Job 2 and idle time of Job 1. Any
inclined line shows processing of two jobs simultaneously.
c) Draw horizontal and vertical lines from points on x-axis and y-axis to construct
the blocks and hatch the blocks.
d) Find the minimum time required to finish both the jobs in the given order of
machining by drawing the inclined line at 45 degrees.
e) After drawing the line, the total time taken is equals to time required for
processing + idle time for the job.
f) The sum of processing time and the idle time for both the jobs must be same.
Example
Use the graphic method to find the minimum elapsed total time sequence of 2
jobs and 5 machines, with the below data.
Machines
JOB1 Sequence A B C D E
Time 2 3 4 6 2
JOB 2 Sequence C A D E B
Time 4 5 3 2 6