Minimizing makespan subject to minimum flowtime on two identical parallel machines

We consider the problem of scheduling jobs on two parallel identical machines where an optimal schedule is defined as one that gives the smallest makespan (the completion time of the last job) among the set of schedules with optimal total flowtime (the sum of the completion times of all jobs). We propose an algorithm to determine optimal schedules for the problem, and describe a modified multifit algorithm to find an approximate solution to the problem in polynomial computational time. Results of a computational study to compare the performance of the proposed algorithms with a known heuristic shows that the proposed heuristic and optimization algorithms are quite effective and efficient in solving the problem.Scope and purposeMultiple objective optimization problems are quite common in practice. However, while solving scheduling problems, optimization algorithms often consider only a single objective function. Consideration of multiple objectives makes even the simplest multi-machine scheduling problems NP-hard. Therefore, enumerative optimization techniques and heuristic solution procedures are required to solve multi-objective scheduling problems. This paper illustrates the development of an optimization algorithm and polynomially bounded heuristic solution procedures for the scheduling jobs on two identical parallel machines to hierarchically minimize the makespan subject to the optimality of the total flowtime.     

Makespan minimization subject to flowtime optimality on identical parallel machines

We consider the identical parallel machine problem with makespan minimization subject to minimum total flowtime. First, we develop an optimal algorithm to the identical parallel machine problem with the objective of minimizing makespan. To improve the computational efficiency, two implementation techniques, the lower bound calculation and the job replacement rule, are applied. Based on the algorithm, an optimal algorithm, using new lower bounds, to the considered problem is developed. The result of this study can also be used to solve the bicriteria problem of minimizing the weighted sum of makespan and mean flowtime. Computational experiments are conducted up to six machines and 1000 jobs. Although the proposed algorithm has an exponential time complexity, the computational results show that it is efficient to find the optimal solution.     

Minimizing maximum earliness on parallel identical machines

This paper addresses the scheduling problem of minimizing maximum earliness (or more generally — maximizing minimum lateness) on parallel identical machines. We prove that the two-machine case is NP-hard in the ordinary sense, and introduce a pseudo-polynomial dynamic programming algorithm for this case. When the number of machines is arbitrary, the problem is shown to be NP-hard in the strong sense. Then we introduce an efficient heuristic and two simple upper bounds on the optimal minimum lateness value. Finally we provide an extensive numerical study which indicates that the heuristic performs well in various job and machine settings.Scope and purposeIn recent years many researchers have focused on minimizing both earliness and tardiness costs. Only a few studies have considered problems with (maximum or total) earliness as the sole performance measure. We believe that the earliness measure is appropriate for many real-life settings, where the main cost component is the earliness (inventory) cost, and the tardiness (positive lateness) cost component is negligible. Our paper studies the scheduling problem of minmax earliness on parallel identical machines: we analyze the complexity of the problem, and introduce an efficient heuristic and simple bounds on the optimal cost.     

Minimizing makespan and flowtime in a parallel multi-stage cellular manufacturing company

This study proposes a 3-phase solution approach for a multi-product parallel multi-stage cellular manufacturing company. The study focuses on a case study involving a shoe manufacturing plant in which products are produced according to their due dates. The investigated manufacturing process has three stages, namely lasting cells, rotary injection molding cells, finishing-packaging cells. System performance is measured based on total flowtime and makespan. We propose a 3-phase solution approach to tackle the problem; 1) the first phase of the proposed approach allocates manpower to operations in the lasting cells and finishing-packaging cells, independently. The objective is to maximize the production rates in these cells. 2) The second phase includes cell loading to determine product families based on a similarity coefficient using mathematical modeling and genetic algorithms (GA). The proposed GA algorithm for cell loading performs mutation prior to crossover, breaking from traditional genetic algorithm flow. The performance measures flow time and makespan are considered in this phase. 3) Flow shop scheduling is then performed to determine the product sequence in each (lasting, rotary injection molding, finishing-packaging) cell group. This 3-phase solution approached is repeated with alternative manpower level allocation to lasting and finishing-packaging cells where the total manpower level remains the same.     

Minimizing total tardiness for scheduling identical parallel machines with family setups

This paper presents several procedures for scheduling identical parallel machines with family setups when the objective is to minimize total tardiness. These procedures are tested on several problem sets with varying numbers of families, jobs and machines, varying setup time distributions and various levels of due date tightness and variability. The results show that genetic algorithms are the most effective algorithms for the problem.     

Minimizing earliness and tardiness subject to total completion time in an identical parallel machine system

This study addresses the identical parallel machine scheduling problem in which the total earliness and tardiness about a common due date are minimized subject to minimum total flowtime, P∥(E+T)/∑_Ci$P\parallel (E+T)/\sum C_i$. The problem is demonstrated to be transformed into a simplified version of the parallel machine problem with the objective of minimizing makespan subject to minimum total flowtime, P∥_Cmax/∑_Ci$P\parallel C_{\max }/\sum C_i$. Several properties are considered to solve optimally the restricted version of the problem. A streamlined binary integer programming model is developed to solve the P∥_Cmax/∑_Ci$P\parallel C_{\max }/\sum C_i$ problem and the P∥(E+T)/∑_Ci$P\parallel (E+T)/\sum C_i$ problem. Computational experiments indicate that the binary integer programming model is superior to the existing optimization algorithm for the P∥_Cmax/∑_Ci$P\parallel C_{\max }/\sum C_i$ problem in the literature.     

Minimizing resource consumption on uniform parallel machines with a bound on makespan

With the crucial issue of environmental protection, managing natural resources efficiently and/or reducing the amount of carbon emissions have become more important than ever. In this paper, we introduce a uniform parallel machine scheduling problem where the objective is to minimize resource consumption given that the maximum completion time does not exceed a certain level. We show that the problem is strongly NP-hard. A tight lower bound and a particle swarm optimization algorithm are then developed. Finally, some computational results are provided.     

Minimizing mean flowtime and makespan on master–slave systems

The master–slave scheduling model is a new model recently introduced by Sahni. It has many important applications in parallel computer scheduling and industrial settings such as semiconductor testing, machine scheduling, etc. In this model each job is associated with a preprocessing task, a slave task and a postprocessing task that must be executed in this order. While the preprocessing and postprocessing tasks are scheduled on the master machine, the slave tasks are scheduled on the slave machines. In this paper, we consider scheduling problems on single-master master–slave systems. We first strengthen some previously known complexity results for makespan problems, by showing them to be strongly NP-hard. We then show that the problem of minimizing the mean flowtime is strongly NP-hard even under severe constraints. Finally, we propose some heuristics for the mean flowtime and makespan problems subject to some constraints, and we analyze the worst-case performance of these heuristics.     

Minimizing total tardiness on parallel machines with preemptions

The basic scheduling problem we are dealing with in this paper is the following one. A set of jobs has to be scheduled on a set of parallel uniform machines. Each machine can handle at most one job at a time. Each job becomes available for processing at its release date. All jobs have the same execution requirement and arbitrary due dates. Each machine has a known speed. The processing of any job may be interrupted arbitrarily often and resumed later on any machine. The goal is to find a schedule that minimizes the sum of tardiness, i.e., we consider problem Q∣r _j ,p _j =p, pmtn∣∑T _j whose complexity status was open. Recently, Tian et al. (J. Sched. 9:343–364, 2006) proposed a polynomial algorithm for problem 1∣r _j ,p _j =p, pmtn∣∑T _j . We show that both the problem P∣ pmtn∣∑T _j of minimizing total tardiness on a set of parallel machines with allowed preemptions and the problem P∣r _j ,p _j =p, pmtn∣∑T _j of minimizing total tardiness on a set of parallel machines with release dates, equal processing times and allowed preemptions are NP-hard. Moreover, we give a polynomial algorithm for the case of uniform machines without release dates, i.e., for problem Q∣p _j =p, pmtn∣∑T _j .     

差异工件平行机批调度问题的SAGA*

为了求解差异工件平行机批调度问题,提出了一种模拟退火遗传算法 (simulated annealing genetic algorithm,SAGA)。将模拟退火算法（simulated annealing,SA）的状态转移操作引入基于最优保留的遗传算法(genetic algorithm,GA)中,作为局部搜索算子,以避免算法陷入局部最优,也有效地发挥了SA和GA在局部搜索与全局搜索能力方面的优势。为了解决GA迭代后期适应函数难以区分一些适应度接近的个体这个问题,SAGA分两阶段标定适应函数,在进化后期     

Minimizing makespan and total flowtime in permutation flowshops by a bi-objective multi-start simulated-annealing algorithm

In this study, a bi-objective multi-start simulated-annealing algorithm (BMSA) is presented for permutation flowshop scheduling problems with the objectives of minimizing the makespan and total flowtime of jobs. To evaluate the performance of the BMSA, computational experiments were conducted on the well-known benchmark problem set provided by Taillard. The non-dominated sets obtained from each of the existing benchmark algorithms and the BMSA were compared, and then combined to form a net non-dominated front. The computational results show that more than 64% of the solutions in the net non-dominated front are contributed by the proposed BMSA. It is believed that these solutions can serve as new benchmarks for future research.     

A branch-and-bound algorithm to minimize total weighted completion time on identical parallel machines with job release dates

In this paper, we consider an identical parallel machine scheduling problem with release dates. The objective is to minimize the total weighted completion time. This problem is known to be strongly NP-hard. We propose some dominance properties and two lower bounds. We also present an efficient heuristic. A branch-and-bound algorithm, in which the heuristic, the lower bounds and the dominance properties are incorporated, is proposed and tested on a large set of randomly generated instances.     

Erratum to: Minimizing total tardiness on parallel machines with preemptions

In this note, we correct a mistake which was made in the paper “Minimizing Total Tardiness on Parallel Machines with Preemptions” (see J Schedul 15:193–200, 2012).     

Minimizing job completion time variance for service stability on identical parallel machines

This paper addresses a job scheduling problem on multiple identical parallel machines so as to minimize job completion time variance (CTV). CTV minimization is closely related to the Just-In-Time philosophy and the service stability concept since it penalizes both earliness and tardiness. Its applications can be found in many real-life areas such as Internet data packet dispatching and production planning. This paper focuses on the unrestricted case of the problem where idle times are allowed to exist before machines start to process jobs. We prove several dominant properties about the optimal solution to the problem. For instance, we prove that the mean completion time (MCT) on each machine should be the same under an optimal schedule. Based on these properties, an efficient heuristic algorithm is proposed. Computational experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed algorithm. The outputs demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is near optimal for small problem instances and greatly outperforms some existing algorithms for large problem instances.     

Minimizing weighted earliness–tardiness on parallel machines using hybrid metaheuristics

We consider the problem of scheduling a set of jobs on a set of identical parallel machines where the objective is to minimize the total weighted earliness and tardiness penalties with respect to a common due date. We propose a hybrid heuristic algorithm for constructing good solutions, combining priority rules for assigning jobs to machines and a local search with exact procedures for solving the one-machine subproblems. These solutions are then used in two metaheuristic frameworks, Path Relinking and Scatter Search, to obtain high quality solutions for the problem.The algorithms are tested on a large number of test instances to assess the efficiency of the proposed strategies.The results show that our algorithms consistently outperform the best reported results for this problem.     

Preemptive scheduling of independent jobs on identical parallel machines subject to migration delays

We present hardness and approximation results for the problem of preemptive scheduling of n independent jobs on m identical parallel machines subject to a migration delay d with the objective to minimize the makespan. We give a sharp threshold on the value of d for which the complexity of the problem changes from polynomial time solvable to NP-hard. Next, we give initial results supporting a conjecture that there always exists an optimal schedule with at most m − 1 job migrations. Finally, we provide a O(n) time (1 + 1/log₂ n)-approximation algorithm for m = 2.     

Scheduling of parallel identical machines to maximize the weighted number of just-in-time jobs

We study the problem of nonpreemptively scheduling n jobs on m identical machines in parallel to maximize the weighted number of jobs that are completed exactly at their due dates. We show that this problem is solvable in polynomial time even if positive set-up times are allowed. Moreover, we show that if due date tolerances are permitted, then already the single-machine case is NP-hard even if all set-up times are zero and all weights are the same.Scope and purposeMost of the literature in the field of deterministic scheduling deals with regular measures of performance, that is with minimizing objective functions that are nondecreasing in job completion times. With the growing interest in just-in-time production, the demand for research into problems with irregular performance measures has considerably increased (see Baker and Scudder, Oper Res 38(1) (1990) 22). This note provides an efficient algorithm for finding nonpreemptive schedules that are optimal with respect to a special type of irregular performance measures in the case of identical machines in parallel.     

Minimizing the makespan on a single machine subject to modular setups

Journal of Scheduling - Single machine scheduling with sequence-dependent setup times is one of the classical problems of production planning with widespread applications in many industries....     

Minimizing makespan in a flow shop with two batch-processing machines using simulated annealing

This paper aims at minimizing the makespan of two batch-processing machines in a flow shop. The processing times and the sizes of the jobs are known and non-identical. The machines can process a batch as long as its capacity is not exceeded. The processing time of a batch is the longest processing time among all the jobs in that batch. The problem under study is NP-hard for makespan objective. Consequently, a heuristic based on Johnson's algorithm and a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is proposed. Random instances were generated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. The results obtained from SA were compared with the proposed heuristic and a commercial solver. The SA outperformed both the heuristic and the commercial solver. On larger problem instances, the heuristic outperformed the commercial solver.