Major Questions in

Construction
Management
-Transportation Model
-Assignment Problem
-Sequencing

Transportation Models

K
L

Market

Roorke
e
Mathur
a
Jaipur

Determine the minimum cost plan

Demand

Supply

Plant Routes

1. Obtaining the IFS

1. North-West Corner Method

1. Obtaining the IFS

2. Least Cost Method

1. Obtaining the IFS

2. Vogels Approximation Method

1. Obtaining the IFS

2. Vogels Approximation Method

2. Testing the optimality

1. Stepping-stone Method

Stepping-Stone Method
1. Select any unused square to
evaluate
2. Beginning at this square, trace a
closed path back to the original
square via squares that are currently
being used
3. Beginning with a plus (+) sign at the
unused corner, place alternate minus
and plus signs at each corner of the
path just traced

Stepping-Stone Method
4. Calculate an improvement index by
first adding the unit-cost figures
found in each square containing a
plus sign and subtracting the unit
costs in each square containing a
minus sign
5. Repeat steps 1 though 4 until you
have calculated an improvement
index for all unused squares. If all
indices are 0, you have reached an
optimal solution.

Stepping-Stone Method
1. If an improvement is possible,
choose the route (unused square)
with the largest negative
improvement index
2. On the closed path for that route,
select the smallest number found in
the squares containing minus signs
3. Add this number to all squares on the
closed path with plus signs and
subtract it from all squares with a
minus sign

Special Issues in Modeling

Demand not equal to supply
Called an unbalanced problem
Common situation in the real
world
Resolved by introducing dummy
sources or dummy destinations
as necessary with cost
coefficients of zero

Special Issues in Modeling

Degeneracy
To use the stepping-stone
methodology, the number of
occupied squares in any solution
must be equal to the number of
rows in the table plus the number
of columns minus 1
If a solution does not satisfy this
rule it is called degenerate

Assignment Model
Construction supervisor is considering how he should
assign the four jobs that are to be performed, to four
of the workers working under him. He wants to
assign the jobs to the workers such that the
aggregate time to perform the job is the least.
Based on previous experience, he has the
information on the time taken by the four workers in
performing these jobs, as given in the table below:
Worker

45

40

51

67

57

42

63

55

49

52

48

64

41

45

60

55

Assignment Model

Assignment Model
Construction supervisor is considering how he should
assign the four jobs that are to be performed, to four
of the workers working under him. He wants to
assign the jobs to the workers such that the
aggregate time to perform the job is the least.
Based on previous experience, he has the
information on the time taken by the four workers in
performing these jobs, as given in the table below:
Worker

45

40

51

67

57

42

63

55

49

52

48

64

41

45

60

55

Assignment Model
Using the following cost matrix, determine: a) optimal
job assignment, and b) cost of assignments
Worke
r

10

10

10

Sequencing
Assumptions:
i) The processing times on various machines are
independent of the order in which different jobs are
processed by them.
ii) The tim etaken by different jobs in going from a
machine to another is negligible.
iii) A job once started on a machine would be finished
without interruption.
iv) A machine can only only process a single job at any
given time.
v) There is no time gap between availability of a
machine and job and processing of the job.

Sequencing
Forward and backward scheduling: ASAP vs delivered
by XYZ
Job shop scheduling:
i) Job arrival pattern
ii) Variety of machines in the shop
iii) Ratio of workers to machines in the shop
iv) Flow pattern of jobs through the shop
v) Priority rules for allocating jobs to machines, and
vi) Schedule evaluation critieria

Sequencing
Job sequencing:
1. First-come first served
2. Shortest processing time
3. Least slack
1. Average job flow time
2. Average number of jobs in the system each day
3. Average job lateness
4. Average earliest of jobs
5. Number of tardy jobs
4. Earliest due date

Sequencing
Job

Process time
(days)

Due date

16

20

25

20

40

The job maybe sequenced as FCFS, SPT, LS, and EDD