ASSIGNMENT

METHOD
What is an Assignment Method?

The assignment method is a way of allocating

organizational resources in which each resource is
assigned to a particular task. The resource could be
monetary, personnel, or technological.
 Understanding the Assignment Method…

The assignment method is used to determine what The goal is to assign resources in such a way that
resources are assigned to which department, it will enhance production efficiency,
machine, or center of operation in the production control/minimize costs, and maximize profits.
process.

Application Objective
 • Allocating the proper number of employees to a machine or task

• Allocating a machine or a manufacturing plant and the number of jobs that a given
machine or factory can produce

• Assigning a number of salespersons to a given territory or territories

• Assigning new computers/laptops, and other expensive high-tech devices to the areas
that need them the most while lower priority departments would get the older models

Applications in maximizing resources…

• One important characteristics of assignment problems is that only one job (or
worker) is assigned to one machine (or project)

• Each assignment problem uses a table

• The numbers in the table will be the costs or times associated with each
particular assignment

• The assignment method involves adding and subtracting appropriate numbers in

the table in order to find the lowest opportunity cost for each assignment
 Assignment Problem
A special kind of Transportation Problem in which each source should have the capacity to fulfill
the demand of any of the destination. It’s main objective is to assign the jobs to the right operator
such that the total processing time is minimized.

BALANCED UNBALANCED

 Balanced Assignment Problem is an assignment problem where the number of

facilities is equal to the number of jobs.

 Unbalanced Assignment Problem is an assignment problem where the number

of facilities is not equal to the number of jobs.
 Hungarian Method
• The Hungarian method of Assignment provides with an efficient method of finding the
Optimal Solution without having to make a direct comparison of every solution. It works on
the principle of reducing the given cost matrix to a matrix of opportunity costs.

•  It was developed and published in 1955 by Harold Kuhn, who gave the name "Hungarian
method" because the algorithm was largely based on the earlier works of
two Hungarian mathematicians: Dénes Kőnig and Jenő Egerváry.

• The Hungarian method is an algorithm which finds an optimal assignment for a given cost
matrix.
 Phases of Hungarian Method
Phase 1: Row and Column Minimization Phase 2: Optimization

Step 1: Subtract the minimum value of each row from

the entries of that same row.

Step 2: Subtract the minimum value of each column

from the entries of that same column.

Phase 1 Phase 2
 5 Steps of Problem Optimization
STEP 3

STEP 1

STEP 5
STEP 2 3. Identify the minimum
value of the uncrossed cell
values. STEP 4
1. Draw a minimum
number of lines to cover
a. Add the minimum
all the zeros in the matrix.
uncrossed cell value at the 5. Treat the solution
intersection points of the marked by the square as
i. Row scanning
2. Check whether the number present matrix the Optimal Solution.
ii. Column scanning
of square-marked is equal to
the number of rows of the b. Subtract the minimum
matrix. If yes, go to STEP 5. uncrossed cell value from all 4. Go to STEP 1.
Otherwise, go to STEP 3. the uncrossed cell values

c. All other entries remain

the same
a) Starting from the first row, ask yourself – “Is there
exactly one zero in that row?” If yes, mark a
square around that zero entry and draw a vertical
line passing through that zero. Otherwise, skip that
row.
b) After scanning the last row, check whether all the
zeros are covered with lines. If yes, go to Step 2.
Otherwise, do column scanning.
Row Scanning
a) Start from the first column, ask yourself – “Is there
exactly one zero in that row?” If yes, mark a
square around that zero entry and draw a
horizontal line passing through that zero.
Otherwise, skip that row.
b) After scanning the last column, check whether all
the zeros are covered with lines.
Column
Scanning
Solve the following Assignment problem. The matrix entries represent the processing times in hours.

Op e ra to r

9 11 14 11 7
6 15 13 13 10
Jo b 12 13 6 8 8
11 9 10 12 9
7 12 14 10 14

*Please see Excel file of Assignment Problem for solution.

 Determine the Assignments that will result in maximum profit.

Jo b s
A B C D E
Ma c hine s

1 62 78 50 101 82
2 71 84 61 73 59
3 87 92 111 71 81
4 48 64 87 77 80

*Please see Excel file of Assignment Problem for solution.

THANK YOU! Presented by:
Kristine Janelle C. Delos Santos
SBU GSB – Operations Research
Prof. Leah M. Lundag