Chapter 6

Assignment Models/Problems
 Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, students will be able
to:
1. Structure special LP(Linear
Programming) problems of
assignment models
2. Solve assignment problems with the
Hungarian (matrix reduction) method
3. Handle special assignment models
problems
•Why do we use Assignment Problems?
 Assignment Problem…
• It is second special-purpose LP algorithm is the
assignment method next to Transportation Problems
• There are many situations where the assignment of
people or machines and so on, may be called for.
• Assignment of workers to machines, clerks to
various counters, salesmen to different sales areas,
service crews to different districts, jobs to workers,
Projects to project managers are typical examples of
these.
• The assignment is a problem because people posses
varying abilities for performing different jobs and,
therefore, the costs of performing the jobs by
different people are different.
Assignment Problem…
• If all persons could do a job in the same time or at
the same cost, then it would not matter who of them
is assigned the job.
• Thus, in assignment problem, the question is how
should the assignment be made in order that the
total cost involved is minimized (or the total value is
maximized when pay-offs are given in terms of, say,
profits).
Assignment Problem…
• Each assignment problem has an associated table,
or matrix with it.
• Generally, the rows contain the objects or people
we wish to assign (Sources), and the columns
comprise the tasks or things we want them assigned
to (Destinations)
• The numbers in the table are the costs associated
with each particular assignment
• An assignment problem can be viewed as a
transportation problem in which the capacity from
each source is 1 and the demand at each
destination is 1
ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM (A.P) definition
1. The Assignment Problem (A.P) is a special case of
Transportation Problem (T.P) under:

 the condition that the number of origins is equal to the

number of destinations, i.e. m=n
• Hence assignment is made on the basis of 1:1
Number of jobs equal to number of machines or persons.
Each man or machine is loaded with one and only one job.
Each man or machine is independently capable of handling
any of the jobs being presented.
Loading criteria must be clearly specified such as “
minimizing operating time or “ maximizing profit”, or “
minimizing production cost” or minimizing production cycle
time e.t.c
ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM (A.P)
definition
2. A.P is a special case of Transportation
Problem (T.P.) in which the number of sources
and destinations are the same, and the
objective is to assign the given job (task) to
most appropriate machine (person) so as to
optimize the objective like minimizing cost.
Cost Vector (Cij)
•Cost vector (Cij) is the cost of assigning ith
job (Task) to jth machine (person)
ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM (A.P)
definition
• Assignment Vector (Xij) is defined as follows:
• Xij = 0; If ith job (Task) is not assigned by jth
machine (person) or
• Xij = 1; If ith job (Task) is assigned to jth machine
(person).
Cost Matrix (Cij)
• Assignment problem is stated in the form of (n*n)
matrix. This is called cost matrix. This is illustrated
as given below.
• Cij = cost of assigning ith job to jth machine
• Symbols j = Job (Task); M = Machine (person)
General Assignment Problem Table
M 1 2 3 … k … n

1 C11 C12 C13 … C1k … C1n

2 C21 C22 C23 … C2k … C2n

3 C31 C32 C33 … C3k … C3k

… … … … … … … …

k Ck1 Ck2 Ck3 … Ckk … Ckn

… … … … … … … …

n Cn1 Cn2 Cn3 … Cnk … Cnn

Note: m = n
Cont’d…
•Effective Matrix:
A cost Matrix in A.P. is called an “Effectiveness
Matrix” when there is at least one zero in each row
and column.
Following is an example of Effectiveness Matrix.
1 2 3 4
1 0 1 3 4
2 5 0 6 0
3 7 8 0 9
4 0 4 3 8
Cont’d…
Mathematical Modeling of an A.P.
•Let there be ‘n’ jobs in a manufacturing plant. Let
there be ‘n’ machines to process the product. A job i (i
= 1, 2,…, n) when processed in a machine j (j = 1,2,…,
n), it is assumed to incur a cost of Cij.
•The assignment is made in such a way that one job is
associated with one machine (see assumption). Hence
we have the following:
n
 i  1Xij  1 n
 j  1Xij  1

Where: - xij is the assignment- vector discussed earlier

Cij is the cost vector associated with the assignment vector xij.
Total assignment cost (Z) is, therefore, given by the following:
 
n n
Z= i 1 j 1
Cij * xij
 Cont’d…
Thus the mathematical formulation of assignment Problem is given as follows:
Minimize
 
n n
Z= i 1 j 1
Cij * xij
Subject to
n
 i  1Xij  1 i = 1, 2, 3… n

n
 j  1Xij  1 j = 1, 2, 3…, n
Assignment Problem ….
Example
•The Fix-It Shop has three rush projects to repair. They
have three repair persons with different talents and
abilities. The owner has estimates of wage costs for
each worker for each project. The owner’s objective is
to assign the three project to the workers in a way that
will result in the lowest cost to the shop. Each project
will be assigned exclusively to one worker. The cost is
shown in the table in the next page.
Assignment Model
• Estimated project repair costs for the Fix-It shop
assignment problem

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3
Adams $11 $14 $6
Brown 8 10 11
Cooper 9 12 7

Table 1
Assignment Model…
• Summary of Fix-It Shop assignment alternatives
and costs
PRODUCT ASSIGNMENT

LABOR TOTAL
1 2 3
COSTS ($) COSTS ($)

Adams Brown Cooper 11 + 10 + 7 28

Adams Cooper Brown 11 + 12 + 11 34
Brown Adams Cooper 8 + 14 + 7 29
Brown Cooper Adams 8 + 12 + 6 26
Cooper Adams Brown 9 + 14 + 11 34
Cooper Brown Adams 9 + 10 + 6 25

Table 2
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique) of Solving AP
• The Hungarian method is an efficient method of finding
the optimal solution to an assignment problem without
having to make direct comparisons of every option
• It operates on the principle of matrix reduction
• By subtracting and adding appropriate numbers in the
cost table or matrix, we can reduce the problem to a
matrix of opportunity costs
• Opportunity costs show the relative penalty associated
with assigning any person to a project as opposed to
making the best assignment
• We want to make assignment so that the opportunity cost
for each assignment is zero
 Three Steps of the Assignment Method
1. Find the opportunity cost table by:by
(a) Subtracting the smallest number in each row of
the original cost table or matrix from every
number in that row
(b) Then subtracting the smallest number in each
column of the table obtained in part (a) from
every number in that column
2. Test the table resulting from step 1 to see whether an
optimal assignment can be made by drawing the
minimum number of vertical and horizontal straight
lines necessary to cover all the zeros in the table. If
the number of lines is less than the number of rows
or columns, proceed to step 3.
 Three Steps of the Assignment Method
3. Revise the present opportunity cost table by
subtracting the smallest number not covered by
a line from every other uncovered number.
• This same number is also added to any
number(s) lying at the intersection of horizontal
and vertical lines. Return to step 2 and continue
the cycle until an optimal assignment is
possible.
 Steps in the Assignment Method

Not
Set up cost table for problem Revise opportunity cost table
optimal
in two steps:
Step 1 (a) Subtract the smallest
number not covered by a line
from itself and every other
Find opportunity cost
uncovered number
(a) Subtract smallest number in
(b) add this number at every
each row from every number
intersection of any two lines
in that row, then
(b) subtract smallest number in
each column from every
number in that column Optimal solution at zero
locations. Systematically make
final assignments.
Step 2
(a) Check each row and
column for a unique zero and
Test opportunity cost table to make the first assignment in
see if optimal assignments are that row or column
possible by drawing the
minimum possible lines on (b) Eliminate that row and
columns and/or rows such that Optimal column and search for another
all zeros are covered unique zero. Make that
assignment and proceed in a
like manner.
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)

• Step 1: Find the opportunity cost table

• We can compute row opportunity costs and
column opportunity costs
• What we need is the total opportunity cost
• We derive this by taking the row
opportunity costs and subtract the smallest
number in that column from each number
in that column
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)
• Cost of each person-  Row opportunity cost
project assignment table

PROJECT PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $11 $14 $6 Adams $5 $8 $0

Brown 8 10 11 Brown 0 2 3

Cooper 9 12 7 Cooper 2 5 0

Table 3 Table 4

 The opportunity cost of assigning Cooper to project 2

is $12 – $7 = $5
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)
• We derive the total opportunity costs by taking the
costs in Table 5 and subtract the smallest number in
each column from each number in that column
 Row opportunity  Total opportunity
cost table cost table
PROJECT PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $5 $8 $0 Adams $5 $6 $0

Brown 0 2 3 Brown 0 0 3

Cooper 2 5 0 Cooper 2 3 0

Table 5 Table 6
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)
• Step 2: Test for the optimal assignment
• We want to assign workers to projects in such a
way that the total labor costs are at a minimum
• We would like to have a total assigned
opportunity cost of zero
• The test to determine if we have reached an
optimal solution is simple
• We find the minimum number of straight lines
necessary to cover all the zeros in the table
• If the number of lines equals the number of rows
or columns, an optimal solution has been reached
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)

 Test for optimal solution

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $5 $6 $0

Brown 0 0 3 Covering line 1

Cooper 2 3 0

Table 7 Covering line 2

 This requires only two lines to cover the zeros so the

solution is not optimal
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)
• Step 3: Revise the opportunity-cost table
• We subtract the smallest number not covered
by a line from all numbers not covered by a
straight line
• The same number is added to every number
lying at the intersection of any two lines
• We then return to step 2 to test this new table
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)

 Revised opportunity cost table (derived by

subtracting 2 from each cell not covered by a line
and adding 2 to the cell at the intersection of the
lines)
PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $3 $4 $0

Brown 0 0 5

Cooper 0 1 0

Table 8
 The Hungarian Method (Flood’s
Technique)

 Optimality test on the revised opportunity cost table

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $3 $4 $0

Brown 0 0 5 Covering line 2

Cooper 0 1 0

Table 9 Covering line 1 Covering line 3

 This requires three lines to cover the zeros so the solution is

optimal
Making the Final Assignment
• The optimal assignment is Adams to project 3,
Brown to project 2, and Cooper to project 1
• But this is a simple problem
• For larger problems one approach to making the
final assignment is to select a row or column that
contains only one zero
• Make the assignment to that cell and rule out its row
and column
• Follow this same approach for all the remaining
cells
Making the Final Assignment

• Total labor costs of this assignment are

ASSIGNMENT COST ($)

Adams to project 3 6

Brown to project 2 10

Cooper to project 1 9

Total cost 25

Table 10
Making the Final Assignment

• Making the final assignments

(A) FIRST (B) SECOND (C) THIRD

ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Adams 3 4 0 Adams 3 4 0 Adams 3 4 0

Brown 0 0 5 Brown 0 0 5 Brown 0 0 5

Cooper 0 1 0 Cooper 0 1 0 Cooper 0 1 0

Table 11
Solving Assignment Problems using Soft
wares
• Soft wares can easily be used to solve Assignment
problems
• You can use excel solver by converting the AP in to
LP model
• QM Soft ware can be also used
Using Excel QM for the Fix-It Shop Assignment
Problem
 Excel QM assignment module
Using Excel QM for the Fix-It Shop Assignment
Problem
 Excel QM output screen

Program 10.3A
Unbalanced Assignment Problems

• Often the number of people or objects to be

assigned does not equal the number of tasks or
clients or machines listed in the columns, and the
problem is unbalanced
• When this occurs, and there are more rows than
columns, simply add a dummy column or task
• If the number of tasks exceeds the number of
people available, we add a dummy row
• Since the dummy task or person is nonexistent, we
enter zeros in its row or column as the cost or time
estimate
Unbalanced Assignment Problems…
• The Fix-It Shop has another worker available
• The shop owner still has the same basic problem of
assigning workers to projects
• But the problem now needs a dummy column to
balance the four workers and three projects.

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 DUMMY
Adams $11 $14 $6 $0
Brown 8 10 11 0
Cooper 9 12 7 0
Davis 10 13 8 0

Table 12
Solve unbalanced AP ?
 Cont’d…
• The assignment to dummy row or column will not be
made as it is fictious.
• If the assignment is made to dummy row, that destination
will not receive any assignment and if the assignment is
made to dummy column, that resource/origin will not
receive the assignment.
 Constrained/Prohibited/ Assignment Problems

• It happens sometimes that a worker cannot perform a

certain job or is not to be assigned a particular job.
• To cope with this situation, the cost of performing that
job by such person is taken to be extremely large (which
is written as M).
• Then the solution to the assignment problem proceeds in
the manner discussed earlier. The effect of assigning
prohibitive cost to such person-job combinations is that
they do not figure in the final solution.
Example:
You are given the information about the cost of performing different jobs by different
persons. The job-person marking X indicates that the individual involved cannot
perform the particular job. Using this information, state (i) the optimal assignment of
jobs, and (ii) the cost of such assignment,
 Cont’d…
.

Solution
Job
J1 J2 J3 J4 J5
P1 9 0 M 2 3
person

P2 15 8 9 0 1
Job

P3 4 1 4 M 0
P4 2 8 0 0 X 7
P5 0 0X 0X 0 0 X
dummy

The assignment is: P1-J2, P2-J4, P3-J5, P4-J3, while job J1 would remain unassigned.
This assignment pattern would cost 18+12+16+20=66 in the aggregate.
Multiple Solution
• In a problem with multiple optimal solutions,
there exists more than one solution which all
is optimal and equally attractive. Consider the
following example.
Example:
• Solve the following assignment problem and
obtain the minimum cost at which all the jobs
can be performed.
Example cont’d…
Job (cost in ’00 Br.)
Worker
1 2 3 4 5

A 25 18 32 20 21
B 34 25 21 12 17
C 20 17 20 32 16
D 20 28 20 16 27

Solution
Solution 1 (’00 Br.) Solution 2 (’00 Br.)
cost
Worker Job cost Worker Job cost
A 2 18 A 2 18
B 4 12 B 4 12
C 5 16 C 5 16
D 1 20 D 3 20
Job left 3 Job left 1
Total 66 Total 66
Maximization Assignment Problems
• Some assignment problems are phrased in terms of
maximizing the payoff, profit, or effectiveness
• It is easy to obtain an equivalent minimization
problem by converting all numbers in the table to
opportunity costs
• This is brought about by subtracting every number in
the original payoff table from the largest single
number in that table
• Transformed entries represent opportunity costs
• Once the optimal assignment has been found, the total
payoff is found by adding the original payoffs of those
cells that are in the optimal assignment
Maximization Assignment Problems
• Harambee University wishes to assign four
four instructors to four courses based on
their efficiency in each course.
• The director wants to determine the course
assignments producing the greatest overall
efficiencies.
Maximization Assignment Problems
• Efficiencies of HU instructors on courses
Courses
Instruc
A B C D
tor
1 20 60 50 55
2 60 30 80 75
3 80 100 90 80
4 65 80 75 70
Table 13
Maximization Assignment Problems
• Opportunity cost of instructors
SECTOR
Instructors A B C D
1 80 40 50 45
2 40 70 20 25
3 20 0 10 20
4 35 20 25 30

Table 14
Maximization Assignment Problems
• First convert the maximization efficiency table into
a minimizing opportunity cost table by subtracting
each rating from 100, the largest rating in the whole
table
• The smallest number in each row is subtracted from
every number in that row and the smallest number
in each column is subtracted from every number in
that column
• The minimum number of lines needed to cover the
zeros in the table is four, so this represents an
optimal solution
Maximization Assignment Problems

• The overall efficiency

ASSIGNMENT EFFICIENCY

Instructor 1 to Course D 55

Instructor 2 to Course C 80

Instructor 3 to Course B 100

Instructor 4 to Course A 65

Total efficiency 300

Table 15
-----END----