Short-Term Scheduling

Strategic Implications of Short-

Term Scheduling
 By scheduling effectively, companies use assets
more effectively and create greater capacity per
dollar invested, which, in turn, lowers cost
 This added capacity and related flexibility provides
faster delivery and therefore better customer
service
 Good scheduling is a competitive advantage
which contributes to dependable delivery
 Short-Term Scheduling
 Deals with timing of operations
 Short run focus: Hourly, daily, weekly
 Types
Forward Scheduling Backward Scheduling

B E B E

Today Due Date Today Due Date

 Short-Term Scheduling Examples
 Hospital
 Outpatient treatments
 Operating rooms
 University
 Instructors
 Classrooms
 Factory
 Production
 Purchases

© 1984-1994 T/Maker Co.

 Forward and Backward Scheduling
 Forward scheduling: begins the schedule as soon
as the requirements are known
 jobs performed to customer order
 schedule can be accomplished even if due date is
missed
 often causes buildup of WIP

 Backward scheduling: begins with the due date of

the final operation; schedules jobs in reverse order
 used in many manufacturing environments, catering,
scheduling surgery
The Goals of Short-Term Scheduling

 Minimize completion time

 Maximize utilization (make effective use of
personnel and equipment)
 Minimize WIP inventory (keep inventory levels
low)
 Minimize customer wait time
 Choosing a Scheduling Method
 Qualitative factors
 Number and variety of jobs
 Complexity of jobs
 Nature of operations

 Quantitative criteria
 Average completion time
 Utilization (% of time facility is used)
 WIP inventory (average # jobs in system)
 Customer waiting time (average lateness)
 Loading Jobs in Work Centers
Assigning jobs to work centers
Considerations
 Job priority (e.g., due date)
 Capacity
 Work center hours available
 Hours needed for job

Approaches
 Gantt charts (load & scheduling) - capacity
 Assignment method - job to specific work center
 Gantt Load Chart
 Shows relative workload in facility
 Disadvantages
 Does not account for unexpected events
 Must be updated regularly

Work Center M T W Th F
Metal Works Job 349 Job 350
Mechanical Job D Job G
Electronics Job B Job H
Painting Job C Job E Job I
 Gantt Load Chart for Week of March 6
 Shows relative workload in facility
 Disadvantages
 Does not account for unexpected events
 Must be updated regularly
Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Work Center
Metalworks Job 349 Job 350
Mechanical Job 349 Job 406
Electronics Job 408 Job 349
Painting Job 295 Job 408 Job 349

Center not available (for

example, maintenance time,
Processing Unscheduled
repairs, shortages)
 Gantt Scheduling Chart
Start of an
activity
Day End of an
Job Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
activity
1S 2 T
3 W
4 5T 6F 7S Scheduled
activity time
allowed
Job A Actual
work
Job B Maintenance
progress
Non-
Job C production
time
Point in
time when
Now chart is
reviewed
 Assignment Method
 Assigns tasks or jobs to resources
 Type of linear programming model
 Objective
 Minimize total cost, time etc.
 Constraints
 1 job per resource (e.g., machine)
 1 resource (e.g., machine) per job
 Sequencing
 Specifies order jobs will be worked
 Sequencing rules
 First come, first served (FCFS)
 Shortest processing time (SPT)
 Earliest due date (EDD)
 Longest processing time (LPT)
 Critical ratio (CR)
 Johnson’s rule
 Priority Rules for Dispatching Jobs
 First come, first served
FCFS
 The first job to arrive at a work center is processed first

EDD
 Earliest due date
 The job with the earliest due date is processed first
 Shortest processing time
SPT 
The job with the shortest processing time is processed
first
LPT  Longest processing time
 The job with the longest processing time is processed
first
 Criteria to Evaluate Priority Rules
ΣFlow times
Average completion time 
# Jobs
Process times
Utilization 
Flow times

Flow times
Average number of jobs in the system 
Process times

 Late times
Average job lateness 
Number of jobs
Job Sequencing Example

Job Job Work Job Due Date

Processing (day)
time in days
A 6 8
B 2 6
C 8 18
D 3 15
E 9 23
 FCFS
Parameter Value Sequence
Average 15.4 days A
completion time
B
Utilization 36.4%
C
Average number 2.75 jobs
of jobs in the D
system
E
Average job 2.2 days
lateness
 SPT
Parameter Value Sequence
Average 13 days B
completion time
D
Utilization 43.1%
A
Average number 2.32 jobs
of jobs in the C
system
E
Average job 1.8 days
lateness
 EDD
Parameter Value Sequence
Average 13.6 days B
completion time
A
Utilization 41.2%
D
Average number 2.43 jobs
of jobs in the C
system
E
Average job 1.2 days
lateness
 LPT
Parameter Value Sequence
Average 20.6 days E
completion time
C
Utilization 27.2%
A
Average number 3.68 jobs
of jobs in the D
system
B
Average job 9.6 days
lateness
 Summary

Rule Average Utilization Average Number Average

Completion (%) of Jobs in the Lateness
Time (days) 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
 Johnson’s Rule

 Used to sequence N jobs through 2 machines in

the same order
Jobs (N = 3) Saw Drill

Job A

Job B

Job C © 1995 Corel

Corp.
© 1995 Corel Corp.
 Johnson's Rule - Scheduling N Jobs
on Two Machines
 All jobs are to be listed, and the time each requires
on a machine shown.
 Select the job with the shortest activity time. If the
shortest time lies with the first machine, the job is
scheduled first; if with the second machine, the job is
scheduled last.
 Once a job is scheduled, eliminate it.
 Apply steps 2-3 to the remaining jobs, working
toward the center of the sequence.
 Johnson’s Rule Steps
List jobs & 2 Schedule
Machine?
activity times LAST
1
Select job with Schedule
shortest time FIRST

No
Ties? Eliminate job
from list
Yes
No
Break Jobs left? Stop
arbitrarily Yes
Johnson’s Rule - Example

Job Work Center 1 Work Center 2

(Drill Press) (Lathe)
A 5 2
B 3 6
C 8 4
D 10 7
E 7 12
 Johnson’s Rule - Example
Step 1 A

Step 2 B A

Step 3 B C A

Step 4 B D C A

Step 5 B E D C A
 Graphical Depiction of Job Flow
Time => 0 3 10 20 28 33

Work
center 1
B E D C A
Work
center 2
B E D C A
Time => 0 3 9 10 20 22 28 29 33 35

B E D C A

= Idle = Job completed