A comparison of due-date selection rules

Abstract In sequencing and scheduling models it is usually assumed that due dates represent exogeneous information. In many practical settings, however, due dates can be discretionary, or at least negotiable. Relatively few studies have incorporated discretionary due dates, and even then the rules proposed for due-date selection have seldom been developed from normative, analytic results. In this research we return to very basic scheduling models in search of fundamental insights and relationships that suggest guidelines for due-date selection in more complicated situations. We exploit some fundamental results from scheduling theory involving the single-machine model in order to compare three basic strategies for due-date selection.