Optimisation-based scheduling: A discrete manufacturing case study

This work presents the development and implementation of a production scheduling system for an electrical appliance manufacturer. Based on recent advances in optimisation-based scheduling approaches, two different software architectures based on two different scheduling formulations, namely the RTN and the STN, are proposed to integrate information available in the different production units and stages with formal algorithmic tools. Optimization results indicate that significant economic benefits can be achieved (e.g. minimization of total operating costs) while ensuring full customer satisfaction as opposed to normal practices followed in the company relying on human expertise. The work indicates that it is possible to solve real-life manufacturing problems using optimization-based approaches but the integration of information in a timely fashion seems to be a major factor in successfully implementing the system and fully realizing its benefits.