In this paper we formulate and efficiently solve staff scheduling problems for large organizations that provide continuous services to customers. We describe an integer programming approach for a class of such problems, where solutions have to obey a number of constraints related to workload...

For a given planning horizon, workforce composition and set of labor requirements, personnel scheduling often reduces to solving three problems. The first is concerned with the assignment of days off; the second involves assigning workers to shifts during the day; and the third involves the...

This paper presents a new implicit formulation for shift scheduling problems, using context-free grammars to model the rules for the composition of shifts. From the grammar, we generate an integer programming (IP) model having a linear programming relaxation equivalent to that of the classical...

We discuss the problem of combining the conflicting objectives of equity and utilitarianism, for social policy making, in a single mathematical programming model. The definition of equity we use is the Rawlsian one of maximizing the minimum utility over individuals or classes of individuals....

This paper studies a multi-facility network synthesis problem, called the Two-level Network Design (TLND) problem, that arises in the topological design of hierarchical communication, transportation, and electric power distribution networks. We are given an undirected network containing two...

This paper presents a new integer programming model for optimal shift scheduling with multiple rest and lunch breaks, and break windows. A set-covering approach for this problem was originally developed by Dantzig (1954). Since then, a number of set-covering-based formulations have been proposed...

This paper addresses the single-product assembly system design problem (ASDP), which seeks to minimize total cost by optimally integrating design (selecting the machine type to locate at each activated station) and operating issues (assigning tasks to observe precedence relationships and cycle...

Many organizations face personnel scheduling decisions under conditions of variable demand for service across a seven-day planning horizon. These organizations must assign employees to daily shifts that efficiently satisfy the demand for labor, yet allow adequate time for rest between subsequent...

This paper presents an integer programming model and algorithm for an electric utility capacity expansion problem which considers the option of investing in nondispatchable or renewable energy sources. A branch-and-bound algorithm is proposed for this problem in which the continuous relaxation...

Conjoint analysis is a statistical technique used to elicit partworth utilities for product attributes from consumers to aid in the evaluation of market potential for new products. The objective of the share-of-choice problem (a common approach to new product design) is to find the design that...