Resource dedication problem in a multi-project environment

There can be different approaches to the management of resources within the context of multi-project scheduling problems. In general, approaches to multi-project scheduling problems consider the resources as a pool shared by all projects. On the other hand, when projects are distributed geographically or sharing resources between projects is not preferred, then this resource sharing policy may not be feasible. In such cases, the resources must be dedicated to individual projects throughout the project durations. This multi-project problem environment is defined here as the resource dedication problem (RDP). RDP is defined as the optimal dedication of resource capacities to different projects within the overall limits of the resources and with the objective of minimizing a predetermined objective function. The projects involved are multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problems with finish to start zero time lag and non-preemptive activities and limited renewable and nonrenewable resources. Here, the characterization of RDP, its mathematical formulation and two different solution methodologies are presented. The first solution approach is a genetic algorithm employing a new improvement move called combinatorial auction for RDP, which is based on preferences of projects for resources. Two different methods for calculating the projects’ preferences based on linear and Lagrangian relaxation are proposed. The second solution approach is a Lagrangian relaxation based heuristic employing subgradient optimization. Numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed approaches are powerful methods for solving this problem.

[1]  Rema Padman,et al.  An integrated survey of deterministic project scheduling , 2001 .

[2]  Philip M. Wolfe,et al.  Multiproject Scheduling with Limited Resources: A Zero-One Programming Approach , 1969 .

[3]  Mauricio G. C. Resende,et al.  A genetic algorithm for the resource constrained multi-project scheduling problem , 2008, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[4]  Rubén Ruiz,et al.  Solving the Multi-Mode Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem with genetic algorithms , 2003, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[5]  Rainer Kolisch,et al.  PSPLIB - A project scheduling problem library: OR Software - ORSEP Operations Research Software Exchange Program , 1997 .

[6]  F. Brian Talbot,et al.  Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling with Time-Resource Tradeoffs: The Nonpreemptive Case , 1982 .

[7]  Arno Sprecher,et al.  An exact algorithm for project scheduling with multiple modes , 1997 .

[8]  Thomas E. Morton,et al.  Resource-constrained multi-project scheduling with tardy costs: Comparing myopic, bottleneck, and resource pricing heuristics , 1993 .

[9]  Chee-Chuong Sum,et al.  An evaluation of due date, resource allocation, project release, and activity scheduling rules in a multiproject environment , 1997 .

[10]  Subhash C. Narula,et al.  Multi-Project Scheduling: Analysis of Project Performance , 1985 .

[11]  Arno Sprecher,et al.  Multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling by a simple, general and powerful sequencing algorithm , 1998, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[12]  Juan Camilo Zapata,et al.  The multimode resource constrained multiproject scheduling problem: Alternative formulations , 2008 .

[13]  Rolf H. Möhring,et al.  Resource-constrained project scheduling: Notation, classification, models, and methods , 1999, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[14]  Federico Barber,et al.  An efficient hybrid genetic algorithm for scheduling projects with resource constraints and multiple execution modes , 2009 .

[15]  V. Maniezzo,et al.  An Exact Algorithm for the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem Based on a New Mathematical Formulation , 1998 .

[16]  K. Bouleimen,et al.  A new efficient simulated annealing algorithm for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem and its multiple mode version , 2003, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[17]  Masao Mori,et al.  A genetic algorithm for multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem , 1997, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[18]  Erik Demeulemeester,et al.  Resource-constrained project scheduling: A survey of recent developments , 1998, Comput. Oper. Res..

[19]  Gündüz Ulusoy,et al.  A survey on the resource-constrained project scheduling problem , 1995 .

[20]  Robert C. Leachman,et al.  MULTI-PROJECT SCHEDULING WITH EXPLICIT LATENESS COSTS , 1993 .

[21]  Carlo Vercellis,et al.  Hierarchical models for multi-project planning and scheduling , 1993 .

[22]  Richard F. Deckro,et al.  A heuristic for multi-project scheduling with limited resources in the housing industry , 1990 .

[23]  F. F. Boctor.  Heuristics for scheduling projects with resource restrictions and several resource-duration modes , 1993 .

[24]  Sönke Hartmann,et al.  Project Scheduling with Multiple Modes: A Genetic Algorithm , 2001, Ann. Oper. Res..

[25]  Rainer Kolisch,et al.  PSPLIB - a project scheduling problem library , 1996 .

[26]  Madan Lal Mittal,et al.  Two-phase heuristics for scheduling of multiple projects , 2009 .

[27]  María Pilar Tormos,et al.  A multicriteria heuristic method to improve resource allocation in multiproject scheduling , 2000, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[28]  Rainer Kolisch,et al.  Characterization and generation of a general class of resource-constrained project scheduling problems , 1995 .

[29]  Grzegorz Waligóra,et al.  Simulated Annealing for Multi-Mode Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling , 2001, Ann. Oper. Res..