Manufacturing Scheduling Systems

Manufacturing Scheduling Systems offers a comprehensive and integrated perspective on the different aspects required to design and implement systems to efficiently and effectively support manufacturing scheduling decisions. The different elements constituting a scheduling system are presented, along with an analysis of the manufacturing context in which the scheduling system is to be developed. Examples and case studies from real implementations of scheduling systems are presented to support the theoretical insights.

Manufacturing Scheduling Systems provides an overview of scheduling ‘hot topics’, resulting in a text of high appeal to a broad readership from postgraduate students in industrial engineering/operations research and business management, to practitioners in the field.

The book is devoted to the problem of manufacturing scheduling, which is the efficient allocation of jobs (orders) over machines (resources) in a manufacturing facility. It offers a comprehensive and integrated perspective on the different aspects required to design and implement systems to efficiently and effectively support manufacturing scheduling decisions. Obtaining economic and reliable schedules constitutes the core of excellence in customer service and efficiency in manufacturing operations. Therefore, scheduling forms an area of vital importance for competition in manufacturing companies. However, only a fraction of scheduling research has been translated into practice, due to several reasons. First, the inherent complexity of scheduling has led to an excessively fragmented field in which different sub problems and issues are treated in an independent manner as goals themselves, therefore lacking a unifying view of the scheduling problem. Furthermore, mathematical brilliance and elegance has sometimes taken preference over practical, general purpose, hands-on approaches when dealing with these problems. Moreover, the paucity of research on implementation issues in scheduling has restricted translation of valuable research insights into industry.

"Manufacturing Scheduling Systems: An Integrated View on Models, Methods and Tools" presents the different elements constituting a scheduling system, along with an analysis the manufacturing context in which the scheduling system is to be developed. Examples and case studies from real implementations of scheduling systems are presented in order to drive the presentation of the theoretical insights. The book is intended for an ample readership including industrial engineering/operations post-graduate students and researchers, business managers, and readers seeking an introduction to the field.

Part I: Introduction and Context

Introduction to Manufacturing Scheduling

Manufacturing Scheduling in Context

Part II: Scheduling Models

Introduction to Scheduling Models

Scheduling Constraints

Objectives

Part III: Scheduling Methods

Overview of Scheduling Methods

Exact Procedures

Approximate Methods

Multiobjective Scheduling

Part IV: Scheduling Tools

Introduction to Scheduling Tools

Advanced Design of Scheduling Tools

Part V: Scheduling Systems

Overview of Scheduling Systems

A Roadmap for Developing Scheduling Systems

Case Studies