Window-based project scheduling algorithms

The goal in project scheduling is to assign start times to activities so that all constraints are satisfied and some objective function is optimized. A wide range of real-world scheduling applications is matched by a variety of theoretical and experimental results in Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research. In this dissertation, we suggest a window-based approach to project scheduling. Underlying this approach is the use of a generalized simple temporal problem (GSTP) framework that allows us to maintain for each activity an interval of temporally feasible start times, called a time window. We describe how windows can be maintained during both schedule construction and local search and discuss the properties of time windows for problems with both cyclic and acyclic constraint graphs. We show that window-based search is effective for two very different problem domains. The first is the resource constrained project scheduling problem with arbitrary temporal constraints (RCPSP/max). We present a new heuristic algorithm that combines the benefits of squeaky wheel optimization with an effective conflict resolution mechanism, called bulldozing, to address RCPSP/max problems. On a range of benchmark problems, the algorithm is competitive with state-of-the-art systematic and non-systematic methods and scales well. The second problem for which we use window-based search is the labor cost optimization problem (LCOP) where the objective is to minimize the total labor costs (including wages, overtime, undertime, hire and fire costs). For the LCOP, simply computing the objective function is time-consuming; we show how this computation can be done quickly enough to be incorporated into search. We then describe the ARGOS optimization tool, a collection of algorithms for the LCOP, and show how it can produce significant cost savings over other available approaches on a number of real-world problems. Finally, we describe SimYard, a simulation tool for a shipyard environment, and use it to show that the theoretical cost savings of ARGOS schedules should be matched by actual savings in a real-world setting. This dissertation includes my co-authored materials.

[1]  Claude Le Pape,et al.  Constraint-Based Programming for Scheduling: An Historical Perspective , 1994 .

[2]  Rina Dechter,et al.  Temporal Constraint Networks , 1989, Artif. Intell..

[3]  Hartwig Nübel.  The resource renting problem subject to temporal constraints , 2001, OR Spectr..

[4]  Teofilo F. Gonzalez,et al.  Flowshop and Jobshop Schedules: Complexity and Approximation , 1978, Oper. Res..

[5]  Philippe Baptiste,et al.  Constraint-based scheduling , 2001 .

[6]  Francisco Javier Larrosa Bondia,et al.  Generic CSP techniques for the job-shop problem , 1997 .

[7]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  A Constraint-Based Method for Project Scheduling with Time Windows , 2002, J. Heuristics.

[8]  Peter Brucker,et al.  2 Solving Large-Sized Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problems , 1999 .

[9]  Philippe Laborie,et al.  Algorithms for propagating resource constraints in AI planning and scheduling: Existing approaches and new results , 2003, Artif. Intell..

[10]  Norman Sadeh,et al.  MICRO-OPPORTUNISTIC SCHEDULING THE MICRO-BOSS FACTORY SCHEDULER , 1994 .

[11]  David Joslin,et al.  "Squeaky Wheel" Optimization , 1998, AAAI/IAAI.

[12]  Ali S. Kiran,et al.  Hierarchical modeling of a shipyard integrated with an external scheduling application , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[13]  A. B. Baker.  Intelligent backtracking on constraint satisfaction problems: experimental and theoretical results , 1995 .

[14]  David S. Johnson,et al.  Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness , 1978 .

[15]  James P. Fourre.  Critical path scheduling : a practical appraisal of PERT , 1968 .

[16]  Jacek Blazewicz,et al.  Resource Constrained Scheduling , 1994 .

[17]  E. Nowicki,et al.  A Fast Taboo Search Algorithm for the Job Shop Problem , 1996 .

[18]  Ehl Emile Aarts,et al.  A computational study of constraint satisfaction for multiple capacitated job shop scheduling , 1996 .

[19]  Spyros G. Tzafestas,et al.  Deterministic scheduling in computing and manufacturing systems: a survey of models and algorithms , 1993 .

[20]  JRmes M. Crawford.  An Approach to Resource Constrained Project Scheduling , 1996 .

[21]  Jacek Blazewicz,et al.  The job shop scheduling problem: Conventional and new solution techniques , 1996 .

[22]  Michael J. Brusco,et al.  Staffing a Multiskilled Workforce with Varying Levels of Productivity: An Analysis of Cross‐training Policies* , 1998 .

[23]  Ji Zhan,et al.  Calendarization of time planning in MPM networks , 1992, ZOR Methods Model. Oper. Res..

[24]  Nicola Muscettola,et al.  Computing the Envelope for Stepwise-Constant Resource Allocations , 2002, CP.

[25]  Mansooreh Mollaghasemi,et al.  Scheduling setup changes at bottleneck facilities in semiconductor manufacturing , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[26]  Sushil Jajodia,et al.  An Algebraic Representation of Calendars , 2004, Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence.

[27]  G. Thompson,et al.  Algorithms for Solving Production-Scheduling Problems , 1960 .

[28]  P. Brucker,et al.  Tabu Search Algorithms and Lower Bounds for the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem , 1999 .

[29]  Olivier Lhomme,et al.  Consistency Techniques for Numeric CSPs , 1993, IJCAI.

[30]  François Laburthe,et al.  Cumulative Scheduling with Task Intervals , 1996, JICSLP.

[31]  Vincent C. S. Wiers,et al.  The complexity of scheduling in practice , 1996 .

[32]  K. Neumann,et al.  Methods for Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling with Regular and Nonregular Objective Functions and Schedule-Dependent Time Windows , 1999 .

[33]  Ping Chen,et al.  The yard allocation problem , 2002, AAAI/IAAI.

[34]  Tristan B. Smith,et al.  An Effective Algorithm for Project Scheduling with Arbitrary Temporal Constraints , 2004, AAAI.

[35]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  Greedy Algorithms for the Multi-capacitated Metric Scheduling Problem , 1999, ECP.

[36]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  Scheduling Multi-capacitated Resources Under Complex Temporal Constraints , 1998, CP.

[37]  Loon Ching Tang,et al.  Dispatching heuristic for wafer fabrication , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[38]  Rolf H. Möhring,et al.  Resource constrained project scheduling with time windows: a branching scheme based on dynamic release dates (Technical Report 596-1998) , 1998 .

[39]  L. Darrell Whitley,et al.  A Comparison of Genetic Algorithms for the Static Job Shop Scheduling Problem , 2000, PPSN.

[40]  William J. Cook,et al.  A Computational Study of the Job-Shop Scheduling Problem , 1991, INFORMS Journal on Computing.

[41]  Rolf H. Möhring,et al.  Scheduling project networks with resource constraints and time windows , 1988 .

[42]  Hark Hwang,et al.  Simplification methods for accelerating simulation-based real-time scheduling in a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility , 2003 .

[43]  J. Carlier,et al.  An algorithm for solving the job-shop problem , 1989 .

[44]  Peter Brucker,et al.  Scheduling Algorithms , 1995 .

[45]  Rema Padman,et al.  An integrated survey of project scheduling , 1997 .

[46]  Klaus Neumann,et al.  Project scheduling with calendars , 2001, OR Spectr..

[47]  J. Christopher Beck,et al.  THE ODO PROJECT: TOWARD A UNIFIED BASIS FOR CONSTRAINT-DIRECTED SCHEDULING , 1998 .

[48]  Edward P. K. Tsang,et al.  Foundations of constraint satisfaction , 1993, Computation in cognitive science.

[49]  Henry A. Kautz,et al.  Constraint propagation algorithms for temporal reasoning: a revised report , 1989 .

[50]  J. Christopher Beck,et al.  Beyond Contention: Extending Texture-Based Scheduling Heuristics , 1997, AAAI/IAAI.

[51]  Norman Sadeh,et al.  Learning to Recognize (Un)Promising Simulated Annealing Runs: Efficient Search Procedures for Job Shop Scheduling and Vehicle Routing , 1997 .

[52]  Itay Meiri,et al.  Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Constraints in Temporal Reasoning , 1991, Artif. Intell..

[53]  Philippe Baptiste,et al.  Constraint Propagation and Decomposition Techniques for Highly Disjunctive and Highly Cumulative Project Scheduling Problems , 1997, CP.

[54]  Rolf H. Möhring,et al.  Minimizing Costs of Resource Requirements in Project Networks Subject to a Fixed Completion Time , 1984, Oper. Res..

[55]  Matthew L. Ginsberg,et al.  Dynamic Backtracking , 1993, J. Artif. Intell. Res..

[56]  Mohamed Haouari,et al.  A Bi-objective Model for Maximizing the Quality in Project Scheduling , 2002 .

[57]  C. Schwindt,et al.  Recent Results on Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling with Time Windows : Models , Solution Methods , and Applications ? , 2002 .

[58]  Professor Dr. Klaus Neumann,et al.  Project Scheduling with Time Windows and Scarce Resources , 2003, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[59]  Yasuhiro Tsujimura,et al.  A tutorial survey of job-shop scheduling problems using genetic algorithms, part II: hybrid genetic search strategies , 1999 .

[60]  Norman M. Sadeh,et al.  Variable and Value Ordering Heuristics for the Job Shop Scheduling Constraint Satisfaction Problem , 1996, Artif. Intell..

[61]  Erik Demeulemeester,et al.  A classification scheme for project scheduling , 1999 .

[62]  R. Kolisch,et al.  Heuristic algorithms for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem: classification and computational analysis , 1999 .

[63]  D. R. Whittet,et al.  Critical path scheduling , 1964 .

[64]  J. Christopher Beck,et al.  Five Pitfalls of Empirical Scheduling Research , 1997, CP.

[65]  L. Darrell Whitley,et al.  Problem difficulty for tabu search in job-shop scheduling , 2003, Artif. Intell..

[66]  Vipin Kumar,et al.  Algorithms for Constraint-Satisfaction Problems: A Survey , 1992, AI Mag..

[67]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  A Constraint Satisfaction Approach to Makespan Scheduling , 1996, AIPS.

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

[69]  Rebekah Lepro,et al.  Simulation based design for a shipyard manufacturing process , 2000, 2000 Winter Simulation Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37165).

[70]  Ravi Sethi,et al.  The Complexity of Flowshop and Jobshop Scheduling , 1976, Math. Oper. Res..

[71]  Massimo Franceschet,et al.  A logical approach to represent and reason about calendars , 2002, Proceedings Ninth International Symposium on Temporal Representation and Reasoning.

[72]  Kenneth R. Baker,et al.  Workforce Allocation in Cyclical Scheduling Problems: A Survey , 1976 .

[73]  Raúl E. Valdés-Pérez,et al.  The Satisfiability of Temporal Constraint Networks , 1987, AAAI.

[74]  J. C. Goodale,et al.  Tour scheduling with dynamic service rates , 1998 .

[75]  Mark S. Fox,et al.  Constraint guided scheduling—a short history of research at CMU , 1990 .

[76]  David R. Karger,et al.  Scheduling Algorithms , 2004, Algorithms and Theory of Computation Handbook.

[77]  Charles R. McLean,et al.  Simulation of shipbuilding operations , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[78]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  A constraint-posting framework for scheduling under complex constraints , 1995, Proceedings 1995 INRIA/IEEE Symposium on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation. ETFA'95.

[79]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  An Iterative Sampling Procedure for Resource Constrained Project Scheduling with Time Windows , 1999, IJCAI.

[80]  Stephen F. Smith,et al.  Boosting stochastic problem solvers through online self-analysis of performance , 2003 .

[81]  U. Dorndorf,et al.  A Time-Oriented Branch-and-Bound Algorithm for Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling with Generalised Precedence Constraints , 2000 .

[82]  Oliver Rose,et al.  The shortest processing time first (SPTF) dispatch rule and some variants in semiconductor manufacturing , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[83]  Daniel A. Finke,et al.  Discrete simulation development for a proposed shipyard steel processing facility , 2001, Proceeding of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (Cat. No.01CH37304).

[84]  A. J. Clewett,et al.  Introduction to sequencing and scheduling , 1974 .

[85]  Sarit Kraus,et al.  Representing and integrating multiple calendars , 1997 .