Schedule Quality Assessment by Utilization of Working Resources

Abstract

Schedule optimization is closely associated with the utilization of resources. Basing on Adamiecki's Law of Harmony, it is proposed that the schedule quality should be assessed by the effects of resources' downtime. According to authors' approach, scheduling consists in allocation of resources' work. All available resources generate total availability of work. Schedule quality assessment should be made by evaluating under-allocated work. It is a difference between total work available and work that is actually allocated as a result of the analysed schedule. Therefore, under-allocated work stands for resources' underutilization. Under-allocated work should be cost-evaluated over time with regard to particular resources or whole groups of resources (i.e. particular contractor's resources-if construction is performed by several contractors). The goal of the schedule optimization is to minimize cost of under-allocated work, especially in short-term planning horizon. The proposed method of harmonization assessment can be used in order to assess and compare any schedules, even those planned by independent schedulers for the same scope of works.