Scheduling

Understanding Scheduling

• Scheduling refers to the process of deciding how to allocate resources to tasks over time
• It plays a crucial role in operations management, where it’s used to manage the production process economically and efficiently
• There are various objectives of scheduling, such as minimizing the total time taken, minimizing delay, and maximizing use of resources

Basic Concepts in Scheduling

• Task or Activity: This refers to a piece of work that needs to be done. Each task usually has an estimated duration
• Resource: These can be workers, machines or any other elements necessary for carrying out the tasks
• Priority Rule: This is a rule for determining the sequence in which tasks are carried out. Common rules include First-Come, First-Served (FCFS), Shortest Processing Time (SPT) and Earliest Due Date (EDD)

Types of Scheduling

• Short-term Scheduling: Also known as job scheduling, it involves assigning tasks to resources in the near future, often in real-time
• Long-term Scheduling: Also known as task scheduling, this involves planning tasks for the long-term, like over several months or years

Stages in the Scheduling Process

• Plan: The first step is to determine the scheduling objectives and constraints
• Act: The tasks are then allocated to resources, in a sequence determined by a priority rule
• Review: Once the schedule is implemented, it should be reviewed regularly to ensure it’s working as expected

Scheduling Techniques

• Gantt chart: A visual representation of a schedule, where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the tasks
• Critical Path Method (CPM): A technique often used in project management to identify the longest sequence of tasks in a project
• Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT): Similar to CPM, but takes into account task dependencies and variability in task durations