An ant colony optimization model for parallel machine scheduling with human resource constraints

Abstract

This model proposed an ant colony optimization model to tackle human resource constrained parallel machine scheduling problem with precedence constraints. In this model, four subsystems are designed to solve the problem, including input subsystem which conducts the problem and the ACO model related parameters and output subsystem which exports scheduling and analysis results, sequence searching subsystem which constructs feasible sequence for each ant, human resource scheduling and sequence evaluation subsystem which assigns human resource and determines the duration time of jobs under the allowable amount of operators. The model is demonstrated to be valid using an example case. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.