AGC604/ADC604

OPERATIONS & SERVICE

MANAGEMENT
Lesson 10:
Operations Scheduling & Sequencing
Associate Professor Dr. Tan Cheng Ling
Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia
 LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
 Illustrate the
relationship between
short-term
scheduling, capacity
planning, aggregate
planning, and a
master schedule.
 Explain each of the
priority sequencing
rules.
 Formulate Gantt
loading and
scheduling charts.
Learning Outcomes:

 Illustrate the relationship between scheduling, capacity

planning, aggregate planning, master schedule and
material requirement planning.
 Explain the concepts of scheduling and sequencing
 Explain each of the priority sequencing rules.
 Formulate Gantt loading and scheduling charts.
 Chapter 15:
Operations Scheduling
& Sequencing

Collier, D.A. & Evans J.R. (2023).

Operations and Supply Chain
Management (3rd ed.). Cengage.
 Contents
§ The Importance of
Short-Term Scheduling
§ Scheduling
§ Loading
§ Sequencing
§ Scheduling in Service
 If scheduling is done well, products and
services can be made or delivered in
timely manner.

Resources can be used to best

advantage and customer will be satisfied
Operation
Strategy Time-based competition depends on
good scheduling.

Coordination of materials, equipment

use, and employee time is an important
function.
 Level 3 decisions require
detailed resource (trucks, labor,
equipment, computers, and
jobs) scheduling, sequencing, The Scope of
and day-to-day execution.
Scheduling
Scheduling refers and
to the assignment Sequencing refers
of start and to determining the Sequencing
completion times order in which
to particular jobs, jobs or tasks are
people, or processed.
equipment.
IMPORTANCE OF
SCHEDULING
Effective and efficient scheduling can be a
competitive advantage
o Meeting customer due dates
o Minimizing job lateness
o Minimizing response time
o Minimizing completion time
o Minimizing time in the system
o Minimizing overtime
o Maximizing machine and labor utilization
o Minimizing idle time
o Minimizing work-in-process inventory
Scheduling
Issue
o Scheduling deals with
the timing of
operations
o The task is the
allocation and
prioritization of
demand
o Significant issues are
• The type of
scheduling, forward or
backward
• The criteria for
priorities
Scheduling
■ Scheduling and sequencing apply to all aspects of
a value chain:
■ Planning and releasing orders in a factory.
■ Determining work shifts for employees.
■ Routing vehicles and making deliveries to
customers.
■ Scheduling patient visits and surgeries.
Production Scheduling in Manufacturing
■ Production scheduling consists of all activities that must be performed to
• manage and control a production process to satisfy product delivery and
• efficiently utilize manufacturing resources.
■ Schedules are usually evaluated using either one of the two following criteria:
1. Shop performance focuses on machine utilization and work-in-process
inventory.
– Common measures include makespan and flow time.
2. Due dates reflect promised delivery dates to customers and are vital to
achieving customer satisfaction.
– Common measures include tardiness and lateness.
SCHEDULING
DECISIONS
 FORWARD
AND
BACKWARD
SCHEDULING
 FORWARD
AND
BACKWARD
SCHEDULING
 Assign jobs so that costs, idle time, or
completion time are minimized
 Two forms of loading
 Capacity oriented
 Assigning specific jobs to work centers

LOADING JOBS
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 Scheduling Application
Approaches
Critical Ratio (CR) • An index number found by dividing the time
remaining until the due date by the work time
remaining on the job
SCHEDULING
• Jobs with low critical ratios are scheduled ahead
of jobs with higher critical ratios
APPROACHES
Johnson’s Rule
•
•
Performs well on average job lateness criteria
List all jobs and times for each work center AND
• Choose the job with the shortest activity time. If
that time is in the first work center, schedule the
job first. If it is in the second work center,
APPLICATION
schedule the job last.
• Once a job is scheduled, it is eliminated from the
list
• Repeat steps 2 and 3 working toward the center
of the sequence
INPUT-OUTPUT CONTROL EXAMPLE
GANTT LOAD CHART EXAMPLE
GANTT SCHEDULE CHART EXAMPLE
 Assignment Example
Typesetter
A B C Step 1:
Job subtracting the
R-34 $11 $14 $ 6 lowest costs
from each row
S-66 $ 8 $10 $11 and column
T-50 $ 9 $12 $ 7

Step 1a - Rows Step 1b - Columns

Typesetter Typesetter
A B C A B C
Job Job
R-34 $ 5 $ 8 $ 0 R-34 $ 5 $ 6 $ 0
S-66 $ 0 $ 2 $ 3 S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 3
T-50 $ 2 $ 5 $ 0 T-50 $ 2 $ 3 $ 0
 Assignment Example
Step 2 - Lines
Step 3:
Typesetter The smallest uncovered
A B C number is 2 so this is
Job subtracted from all other
uncovered numbers and
R-34 $ 5 $ 6 $ 0 added to numbers at the
S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 3 intersection of lines
T-50 $ 2 $ 3 $ 0
Step 3 - Subtraction

Typesetter
Step 2: A B C
Because only two lines are Job
needed to cover all the zeros, the
solution is not optimal. R-34 $ 3 $ 4 $ 0
S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 5
T-50 $ 0 $ 1 $ 0
 Assignment Example
Step 2 - Lines Start by assigning R-34 to worker C
as this is the only possible
assignment for worker C.
Typesetter
A B C
Job Job T-50 must go to worker A as
worker C is already assigned. This
R-34 $ 3 $ 4 $ 0 leaves S-66 for worker B.
S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 5
T-50 $ 0 $ 1 $ 0 Step 4 - Assignments

Step 2: Typesetter
Because three lines are A B C
needed, the solution is Job
optimal and assignments
can be made R-34 $ 3 $ 4 $ 0
S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 5
T-50 $ 0 $ 1 $ 0
 Assignment Example
Step 4 - Assignments

Typesetter Typesetter
A B C A B C
Job Job
R-34 $11 $14 $ 6 R-34 $ 3 $ 4 $ 0
S-66 $ 8 $10 $11 S-66 $ 0 $ 0 $ 5
T-50 $ 9 $12 $ 7 T-50 $ 0 $ 1 $ 0

From the original cost table

Minimum cost = $6 + $10 + $9 = $25

Sequencing
Four Priority Rules:

2. SPT: process jobs

1. FCFS: process jobs in according to processing
order of arrival. times, shortest ones
first.

4. LPT: Jobs with

3. EDD: process jobs by
longest processing time
due date, earliest due
are important and are
dates first.
scheduled first.
Sequencing Example
Apply the four popular sequencing rules
to these five jobs
Job Work Job Due
(Processing) Time Date
Job (Days) (Days)
A 6 8
B 2 6
C 8 18
D 3 15
E 9 23
Sequencing Example
FCFS: Sequence A-B-C-D-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
A 6 6 8 0
B 2 8 6 2
C 8 16 18 0
D 3 19 15 4
E 9 28 23 5
28 77 11
Sequencing Example
SPT: Sequence B-D-A-C-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
B 2 2 6 0
D 3 5 15 0
A 6 11 8 3
C 8 19 18 1
E 9 28 23 5
28 65 9
Sequencing Example
EDD: Sequence B-A-D-C-E
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
B 2 2 6 0
A 6 8 8 0
D 3 11 15 0
C 8 19 18 1
E 9 28 23 5
28 68 6
Sequencing Example
LPT: Sequence E-C-A-D-B
Job Work
Job (Processing) Flow Job Due Job
Sequence Time Time Date Lateness
E 9 9 23 0
C 8 17 18 0
A 6 23 8 15
D 3 26 15 11
B 2 28 6 22
28 103 48
Sequencing Example
Measurement of Effectiveness
Sum of total flow time
Average completion time = Number of jobs

Total job work time

Utilization metric = Sum of total flow time

Average number of Sum of total flow time

jobs in the system = Total job work time

Total late days

Average job lateness = Number of jobs
Sequencing Example

Summary of Rules

Average Average Number Average

Completion Utilization of Jobs in Lateness
Rule Time (Days) Metric (%) System (Days)
FCFS 15.4 36.4 2.75 2.2

SPT 13.0 43.1 2.32 1.8

EDD 13.6 41.2 2.43 1.2

LPT 20.6 27.2 3.68 9.6

Critical Ratio Example
Currently Day 25

Due Workdays Priority

Job Date Remaining Critical Ratio Order

A 30 4 (30 - 25)/4 = 1.25 3

B 28 5 (28 - 25)/5 = .60 1

C 27 2 (27 - 25)/2 = 1.00 2

With CR < 1, Job B is late. Job C is just on schedule and Job A has
some slack time.
Johnson’s Rule Example
Work Center 1 Work Center 2
Job (drill press) (lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
B E D C A
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12

Time 0 3 10 20 28 33

WC
1 B E D C A

WC
2 B E D C A

Time 0 1 3 5 7 9 10 11 12 13 17 19 21 22 2325 27 29 31 33 35

B E D C A
 Scheduling is dynamic and LIMITATIONS
rules need to be revised to OF RULE-
adjust to changes
BASED
 Rules do not look upstream
or downstream DISPATCHING
 Rules do not look beyond
SYSTEMS
due dates
Exercise 10.1
Jane has a tight schedule tomorrow; she has four
assignments to submit, and her timetable is below.
How can she schedule her work? Can she complete
all?

Tasks/Assignments Processing Submission Time

Time
1 Operations Management (OM) 6 9.00 am
2 Marketing 3 11.00 am
3 Accounting 4 2.00 pm
4 Technology Management (TM) 2 3.30 pm
 Answer to Exercise 10.1
Jane has a tight schedule tomorrow, which she has four assignments to be submitted,
and her timetable as below. How can she schedule her work? Can she complete all ?
Using SPT
Tasks/Assignments Processing Flow time Submission Submissi Lateness
Time Time on Due

1 TM 2 2 3.30 pm 15.30 0
2 Marketing 3 5 11.00 am 11.00 0 Jane will be able
3 Accounting 4 9 2.00 pm 14.00 0 to meet all his
4 OM 6 15 9.00 am 9.00 6 assignment
deadlines using
Using EDD EDD rule.
Tasks/Assignments Processing Flow time Submission Submissi Lateness
However, the SPT
Time Time on Due
rule will result in
1 assignments
1 OM 6 6 9.00 am 9.00 0 (OM) being late.
2 Marketing 3 9 11.00 am 11.00 0
3 Accounting 4 13 2.00 pm 14.00 0
4 TM 2 15 3.30 pm 15.30 0
Exercise 10.2: Hirsch Products

■ Hirsch Products manufactures certain Job Shear (days) Punch-press (days)

custom parts that first require a shearing 1 4 5
operation (Resource #1) and then a punch- 2 4 1
press operation (Resource #2). 3 10 4
4 6 10
■ Hirsch currently has orders for five jobs, 5 2 3
with processing times (in days) as shown,
and sequenced in order 1-2-3-4-5.
■ The makespan is 37 days, with
plenty of idle time for the
punch-press (62% utilization),
as shown in the job sequence
chart.
 Answer to Exercise 10.2: Hirsch Products

Original sequence Minimum makespan Minimum time and Johnson’s Rule decision
Job 1 2 3 4 5 2
Shear (days) 4 4 10 6 2 4 job 2, resource 2
Punch-press (days) 5 1 4 10 3 1 schedule Job 2 last (position 5)

Job 1 3 4 5 5 2
Shear (days) 4 10 6 2 2 4 job 5, resource 1
Punch-press (days) 5 4 10 3 3 1 schedule job 5 first (position 1)
Job 1 3 4 5 1 2
Shear (days) 4 10 6 2 4 4 tie: job 1, resource 1 & job 3, resource 2
Punch-press (days) 5 4 10 3 5 1 schedule job 1 next to first (position 2)
Job 3 4 5 1 3 2
Shear (days) 10 6 2 4 10 4 job 3, resource 2
Punch-press (days) 4 10 3 5 4 1 schedule job 3 next to last (position 4)
Job 4 5 1 4 3 2
Shear (days) 6 2 4 6 10 4 only job 4 is left
schedule job 4 in the last open slot (position
Punch-press (days) 10 3 5 10 4 1 3)
 Answer to Exercise 10.2: Hirsch Products

■ Johnson’s rule is a powerful algorithm when the sequencing problem

structure fits the assumptions, as it is the case for the Hirsch Products
example.
■ Compared to the original sequence 1-2-3-4-5:
• the makespan is reduced from 37 to 27 days.
− we gained 10 days to schedule other jobs.
• the average flow time also improved from 22.4 to 18.2 days.

• the total idle time on the punch

press is now only four days.
• punch press resource utilization
improved to 23/27 ൌ 85.2%.
SCHEDULING SERVICES

Issues encounter in scheduling Approach used in scheduling service

service
Inability to store or inventory services In back-office operation – maximize worker
Random nature of customer requests for efficiency
service In-front office operation – scheduling workforce
to meet demand
Scheduling in Service Organizations

■ Scheduling techniques used in manufacturing transfer well to low-contact

(back room) service systems.
■ High-contact (front room) service systems are more difficult to schedule
because the participation between customers and service providers affects
• customer demand,
• customer arrival times, and
• service times.
■ In service systems–where there is no physical inventory of goods and
materials–the capability to process more or fewer customers depends on
the system’s capacity alone.
Staff Scheduling

■ Staff scheduling attempts to match available personnel with the needs of the
organization by:
1. Accurately forecasting demand and translating it into the quantity and
timing of work to be done.
2. Determining the staffing required to perform the work by time period.
3. Determining the personnel available and the full- and part-time mix.
4. Matching capacity to demand requirements and developing a work
schedule that maximizes service and minimizes costs.
■ Staff scheduling problems can be addressed using commercial software
packages or optimization models.
Scheduling Services

Schedule in •Customer
services involve •Workforce
scheduling •Equipment

Schedule in
•Appointment systems
services involve •Reservation systems
scheduling
OM in Action
Operating room
represents a fixed
capacity that must be
scheduled carefully to
avoid unused
capacity. Any time not
used by surgeons is
time lost forever.
OM in Action
Scheduling an automobile
assembly line is a
challenging task, and
requires the help of
sophisticated software.
Even with robots doing
much of the work, parts
and components must be
timed to arrive at the
precise time the frame is
available for assembly.
THANK YOU