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Scheduling resource-constrained projects with a flexible project structure

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  • Kellenbrink, Carolin
  • Helber, Stefan

Abstract

In projects with a flexible project structure, the activities that must be scheduled are not completely known in advance. Scheduling such projects includes deciding whether to perform particular activities. This decision also affects precedence constraints among the implemented activities. However, established model formulations and solution approaches for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) assume that the project structure is provided in advance. In this paper, the traditional RCPSP is extended using a highly general model-endogenous decision on this flexible project structure. This extension is illustrated using the example of the aircraft turnaround process at airports. We present a genetic algorithm to solve this type of scheduling problem and evaluate it in an extensive numerical study.

Suggested Citation

  • Kellenbrink, Carolin & Helber, Stefan, 2015. "Scheduling resource-constrained projects with a flexible project structure," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 246(2), pages 379-391.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:246:y:2015:i:2:p:379-391
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2015.05.003
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    Cited by:

    1. André Schnabel & Carolin Kellenbrink & Stefan Helber, 2018. "Profit-oriented scheduling of resource-constrained projects with flexible capacity constraints," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 11(2), pages 329-356, September.
    2. Ben Issa, Samer & Patterson, Raymond A. & Tu, Yiliu, 2021. "Solving resource-constrained multi-project environment under different activity assumptions," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    3. Hartmann, Sönke & Briskorn, Dirk, 2022. "An updated survey of variants and extensions of the resource-constrained project scheduling problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 297(1), pages 1-14.
    4. Hongbo Li & Linwen Zheng & Hanyu Zhu, 2023. "Resource leveling in projects with flexible structures," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 321(1), pages 311-342, February.
    5. Servranckx, Tom & Vanhoucke, Mario, 2019. "Strategies for project scheduling with alternative subgraphs under uncertainty: similar and dissimilar sets of schedules," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 279(1), pages 38-53.
    6. Farida Saleem & Imran Murtaza & Shabir Hyder & Muhammad Imran Malik, 2020. "Public Health and Project Management: Do Projects Deliver?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-11, October.
    7. Servranckx, Tom & Vanhoucke, Mario, 2019. "A tabu search procedure for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem with alternative subgraphs," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 841-860.
    8. Luise-Sophie Hoffmann & Carolin Kellenbrink & Stefan Helber, 2020. "Simultaneous structuring and scheduling of multiple projects with flexible project structures," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(5), pages 679-711, June.
    9. Ripon K. Chakrabortty & Ruhul A. Sarker & Daryl L. Essam, 2020. "Single mode resource constrained project scheduling with unreliable resources," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1369-1403, September.
    10. Kellenbrink, Carolin & Helber, Stefan, 2014. "Quality- and profit-oriented scheduling of flexible resource-constrained projects," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-549, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    11. Masoud Arjmand & Amir Abbas Najafi & Majid Ebrahimzadeh, 2020. "Evolutionary algorithms for multi-objective stochastic resource availability cost problem," OPSEARCH, Springer;Operational Research Society of India, vol. 57(3), pages 935-985, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Project scheduling; Genetic algorithms; RCPSP; Flexible projects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • C44 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Operations Research; Statistical Decision Theory
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management

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