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• A sequence is the order in which the jobs are

processed. Sequence problems arise when we are
concerned with situations where there is a choice
in which a number of tasks can be performed. A
sequencing problem could involve:
• Jobs in a manufacturing plant.
• Aircraft waiting for landing and clearance.
• Maintenance scheduling in a factory.
• Programmes to be run on a computer.
• Customers in a bank & so-on.

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 • Job : the jobs or items or customers or orders
are the primary stimulus for sequencing. There
should be a certain number of jobs say ‘n’ to be
processed or sequenced.
• Number of Machines : A machine is
characterized by a certain processing capability or
facilities through which a job must pass before it is
completed in the shop. It may not be necessarily a
mechanical device. Even human being assigned
jobs may be taken as machines. There must be
certain number of machines say ‘k’ to be used for
processing the jobs.

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• Processing Time : Every operation requires
certain time at each of machine. If the time is
certain then the determination of schedule is easy.
When the processing times are uncertain then the
schedule is complex.
• Total Elapsed Time : It is the time between
starting the first job and completing the last one.
• Idle time : it is the time the machine remains idle
during the total elapsed time.
• Technological order : different jobs may have
different technological order. It refers to the order
in which various machines are required for
completing the jobs e.g.
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 M3
START

M1
FINISH

M2
M4

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 There can be many types of sequencing problems
which are as follows:
• Problem with ‘n’ jobs through one machine.

• Problem with ‘n’ jobs through two machines.

• Problem with ‘n’ jobs through three machines.

• Here the objective is to find out the optimum

sequence of the jobs to be processed and

starting and finishing time of various jobs
through all the machines.

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 No passing rule: it implies that passing is not
allowed i.e. the same order of jobs is maintained
over each machine. If each of the ‘n’ jobs is to be
processed through ‘m’ machines in order of
M1 M2 M3 M4 then this rule will mean that
each job will go to machine M1 first then to M2
and lastly to M4 after M3.
 Static arrival pattern. If all the jobs arrive

simultaneously.
 Dynamic arrival pattern. Where the jobs arrive

continuously.

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Following are the basic assumptions underlying a
sequencing problem:
• No machine can process more than one job at a time.
• The processing times on different machines are
independent of the order in which they are processed.
• The time involved in moving a job from one machine to
another is negligibly small.
• Each job once started on a machine is to be performed
up to completion on that machine.
• All machines are of different types.
• All jobs are completely known and are ready for
processing.
• A job is processed as soon as possible but only in the
order specified.
These assumptions are considered to make the sequencing
problem a simple one otherwise complicacy may arise.8
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• Let there be ‘n’ jobs each of which is to be
processed through two machines say A & B, in
the order AB. That is each job will go to machine
A first and then to B in other words passing off is
not allowed. All ‘n’ jobs are to be processed on A
without any idle time. On the other hand the
machine B is subject to its remaining idle at
various stages.
• Let A1 A2………….An & B1 B2……..Bn be the
expected processing time of n jobs on these two
machines.
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• Step 1. Select the smallest processing time occurring
in list Ai or Bi, if there is a tie select either of the
smallest processing time.
• Step 2. If the smallest time is on machine A, then
place it at first place if it is for the B machine place the
corresponding job at last. Cross off that job.
• Step 3. if there is a tie for minimum time on both the
machines then select machine A first & machine B last
and if there is tie for minimum on machine A (same
machine) then select any one of these jobs first and if
there is tie for minimum on machine B among and
select any of these job in the last.
• Step 4. Repeat step 2 & 3 to the reduced set of
processing times obtained by deleting the processing
time for both the machines corresponding to the jobs
already assigned.
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• Step 5. Continue the process placing the job next
to the last and so on till all jobs have been placed
and it is called optimum sequence.
• Step 6. after finding the optimum sequence we
can find the followings
i. Total elapsed time = Total time between starting
the first job of the optimum sequence on machine
A and completing the last job on machine B.
ii. Idle time in machine A = Time when the last job in
the optimum sequence is completed on Machine B
– Time when the last job in the optimum sequence
is completed on Machine A.
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 Jobs 1 2 3 4 5 6
Machine A 7 4 2 5 9 8
Machine B 3 8 6 6 4 1

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Solution: step 1:the least of all the times
given in for job 6 in machine B. so perform job 6 in
the end. It is last in the sequences. Now delete this
job from the given data.
6

• Step 2: Of the remaining timings now the

minimum is for job 3 on machine A. so do the job
3 first. Now delete this job 3 also.
3 6

• Step 3: Now the smallest time is 3 minutes for

job first on machine B. thus perform job 1 at the
second last before job 6.
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  Step 4: after assigning job 1, we observe that
the smallest value of 4 minutes is shared by job 2
on Machine A and job 5 on machine B. so
perform job 2 first and job 5 in at the end end, i.e.
job 2 after job 3 and job 5 before job 1.

3 2 5 1 6
 Step 5: now the only job remaining is job 4 it
shall be assigned the only space left in the
sequence. Optimal resultant sequence of jobs is

3 2 4 5 1 6

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Job Machine A Machine B Idle time
Sequenc for
e MaC a MAC B IN OUT IN OUT machine
B

3 2 6 0 2 2 8 2
2 4 8 2 6 8 16 -
4 5 6 6 11 16 22 -
5 9 4 11 20 22 26 -
1 7 3 20 27 27 30 1
6 8 1 27 35 35 36 5
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 Let there be ‘n’ jobs each of which is to processed through
three machines say A, B & C in the order ABC. No passing
off jobs is permitted and actual processing time in all the
three machine is known. The problem again is to find the
optimum sequences which minimizes T (Processing Time)
job Machine A Machine B Machine C
1 A1 B1 C1
2 A2 B2 C2
3 A3 B3 C3

i Ai Bi Ci

n An Bn Cn
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• No general solution is available at present for such a
case. However previous method given by Johnson can
be applied if the following two conditions are
satisfied.
• Condition 1:
• the minimum time on machine A≥ maximum time on
machine B.
• Condition 2:
• the minimum time on machine C ≥ maximum time on
machine B.

i.e. Find (i) Minimum of Ai (ii) Minimum of Ci (iii)

Maximum of Bi
Check (i) Ai ≥Bi and/or (ii)Ci ≥ Bi
If the above two are not satisfied the method fails
otherwise we can proceed.
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Method: Replace the given problem with an equal
problem involving ‘n’ jobs two machines here two
machines fictitious say G & H and defines the
corresponding processing time i.e. Gi & Hi as
follows:
Gi = Ai + Bi, Hi = Bi + Ci
Thus for the job 1 G1 = A1 + B1, H1 = B1 + C1
For the job 2 G2 = A2 + B2, H2 = B2 + C2 so on
Now apply the same procedure and find out the
optimal sequence which shall also be optimal for
the original problem.

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 Job Turning Ai Threading Bi Knurling Ci
1 3 8 13
2 12 6 14
3 5 4 9
4 2 6 12
5 9 3 8
6 11 1 13
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Solution: Min. of Ai = 2 >Max. of Bi= 8 not satisfied.
Min. of Ci = 8 > Max. of Bi = 8 satisfied.
Since one of the conditions are satisfied, the above
problem can be converted into ‘n’ jobs, 2 machines.
Two fictitious operations G & H can be written as (in
times)

Job Gi = Ai + Bi Hi = Bi + Ci
1 3 + 8 = 11 8 + 13 = 21
2 12 + 6 = 18 6 + 14 = 20
3 5+4=9 4 + 9 =13
4 2+6=8 6 + 12 = 18
5 9 + 3 = 12 3 + 8 = 11
6 11 + 1 = 12 1 + 13 = 14
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• Examining the column Gi &Hi we find the smallest
time is 8 of job 4 on G, thus we assign job 4 first as
shown below now delete 4.
4

• The next smallest time is 9 of job 3 on machine G.

Hence we schedule job 3 as next to 4 also delete 3.
4 3

• After assigning 4 & 3, we see that there are equal

minimum values, processing time of 11 minutes
under job 1 on G and job 5 on H. According to the
rule, job 1 is scheduled next to 3 while job 5 is
assigned last as shown below
4 3 1 5
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• Now jobs 2 & 6 are left. The smallest value is 12 for job
6 on machine G so we assign job 6 after 1 and we get
the optimum sequence as
4 3 1 6 2 5

• Total elapsed time for the original problem

Job Turning Threading Knurling Idle time
In Out In out In Out threading knurling
4 0 2 2 8 8 20 2 8
3 2 7 8 12 20 29 - -
1 7 10 12 20 29 42 - -
6 10 21 21 22 42 55 1 -
2 21 33 33 39 55 69 11 -
5 33 42 42 45 69 77 3 -

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 Thus the minimum elapsed time is 77 minutes
 Idle time for Turning = 35(77-42)
 Idle time for Threading = 2 + 1 + 11 + 3 + 32 =49
 Idle time for Knurling = 8 minutes.

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