Efficient heuristics for the hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with missing operations

In this paper, we address the hybrid flowshop scheduling problem for makespan minimisation. More specifically, we are interested in the special case where there are missing operations, i.e. some stages are skipped, a condition inspired in a realistic problem found in a plastic manufacturer. The main contribution of our paper is twofold. On the one hand we carry out a computational analysis to study the hardness of the hybrid flowshop scheduling problem with missing operations as compared to the classical hybrid flowshop problem. On the other hand, we propose a set of heuristics that captures some special features of the missing operations and compare these algorithms with already existing heuristics for the classical hybrid flowshop, and for the hybrid flowshop problem with missing operations. The extensive computational experience carried out shows that our proposal outperforms existing methods for the problem, indicating that it is possible to improve the makespan by interacting with the jobs with missing operations.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación DPI2016-80750-

Spatial-temporal data modelling and processing for personalised decision support

The purpose of this research is to undertake the modelling of dynamic data without losing any of the temporal relationships, and to be able to predict likelihood of outcome as far in advance of actual occurrence as possible. To this end a novel computational architecture for personalised ( individualised) modelling of spatio-temporal data based on spiking neural network methods (PMeSNNr), with a three dimensional visualisation of relationships between variables is proposed. In brief, the architecture is able to transfer spatio-temporal data patterns from a multidimensional input stream into internal patterns in the spiking neural network reservoir. These patterns are then analysed to produce a personalised model for either classification or prediction dependent on the specific needs of the situation. The architecture described above was constructed using MatLab© in several individual modules linked together to form NeuCube (M1). This methodology has been applied to two real world case studies. Firstly, it has been applied to data for the prediction of stroke occurrences on an individual basis. Secondly, it has been applied to ecological data on aphid pest abundance prediction. Two main objectives for this research when judging outcomes of the modelling are accurate prediction and to have this at the earliest possible time point. The implications of these findings are not insignificant in terms of health care management and environmental control. As the case studies utilised here represent vastly different application fields, it reveals more of the potential and usefulness of NeuCube (M1) for modelling data in an integrated manner. This in turn can identify previously unknown (or less understood) interactions thus both increasing the level of reliance that can be placed on the model created, and enhancing our human understanding of the complexities of the world around us without the need for over simplification. Read less Keywords Personalised modelling; Spiking neural network; Spatial-temporal data modelling; Computational intelligence; Predictive modelling; Stroke risk predictio

Spatial-temporal data modelling and processing for personalised decision support

The purpose of this research is to undertake the modelling of dynamic data without losing any of the temporal relationships, and to be able to predict likelihood of outcome as far in advance of actual occurrence as possible. To this end a novel computational architecture for personalised ( individualised) modelling of spatio-temporal data based on spiking neural network methods (PMeSNNr), with a three dimensional visualisation of relationships between variables is proposed. In brief, the architecture is able to transfer spatio-temporal data patterns from a multidimensional input stream into internal patterns in the spiking neural network reservoir. These patterns are then analysed to produce a personalised model for either classification or prediction dependent on the specific needs of the situation. The architecture described above was constructed using MatLab© in several individual modules linked together to form NeuCube (M1). This methodology has been applied to two real world case studies. Firstly, it has been applied to data for the prediction of stroke occurrences on an individual basis. Secondly, it has been applied to ecological data on aphid pest abundance prediction. Two main objectives for this research when judging outcomes of the modelling are accurate prediction and to have this at the earliest possible time point. The implications of these findings are not insignificant in terms of health care management and environmental control. As the case studies utilised here represent vastly different application fields, it reveals more of the potential and usefulness of NeuCube (M1) for modelling data in an integrated manner. This in turn can identify previously unknown (or less understood) interactions thus both increasing the level of reliance that can be placed on the model created, and enhancing our human understanding of the complexities of the world around us without the need for over simplification. Read less Keywords Personalised modelling; Spiking neural network; Spatial-temporal data modelling; Computational intelligence; Predictive modelling; Stroke risk predictio

AN EFFICIENT HEURISTIC TO BALANCE TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN UTILIZATION AND PATIENT FLOWTIME IN OPERATING ROOM MANAGEMENT

Balancing trade-offs between production cost and holding cost is critical for production and operations management. Utilization of an operating room affects production cost, which relates to makespan, and patient flowtime affects holding cost. There are trade-offs between two objectives, to minimize makespan and to minimize flowtime. However, most existing constructive heuristics focus only on single-objective optimization. In the current literature, NEH is the best constructive heuristic to minimize makespan, and LR heuristic is the best to minimize flowtime. In this thesis, we propose a current and future deviation (CFD) heuristic to balance trade-offs between makespan and flowtime minimizations. Based on 5400 randomly generated instances and 120 instances in Taillard’s benchmarks, our CFD heuristic outperforms NEH and LR heuristics on trade-off balancing, and achieves the most stable performances from the perspective of statistical process control

An Efficient Constructive Heuristic to Balance Trade-Offs Between Makespan and Flowtime in Permutation Flow Shop Scheduling

Balancing trade-offs between production cost and holding cost is critical for production and operations management. Utilization of a production line affects production cost, which relates to makespan, and work-in-process (WIP) inventories in a production line affect holding cost, which relate to flowtime. There are trade-offs between two objectives, to minimize makespan and to minimize flowtime. Without addressing trade-off balancing issues in flow shop scheduling, WIP inventories are still high in manufacturing, generating unnecessary holding cost. However, utilization is coupled with WIP inventories. Low WIP inventory levels might lower utilization and generate high production cost. Most existing constructive heuristics focus only on single-objective optimization. In the current literature, the NEH heuristic proposed by Nawaz, Enscore, and Ham (1983) is the best constructive heuristic to minimize makespan, and the LR heuristic proposed by Liu and Reeves (2001) is the best to minimize flowtime. In this paper, we propose a current and future deviation (CFD) heuristic to balance trade-offs between makespan and flowtime minimizations. Based on 5400 randomly generated instances, 120 instances in Taillard’s benchmarks, and one-year historical records of operating room scheduling from University of Kentucky HealthCare (UKHC), our CFD heuristic outperforms the NEH and LR heuristics on trade-off balancing, and achieves the most stable performances from the perspective of statistical process control (SPC)

On the exact solution of the no-wait flow shop problem with due date constraints

Peer ReviewedThis paper deals with the no-wait flow shop scheduling problem with due date constraints. In the no-wait flow shop problem, waiting time is not allowed between successive operations of jobs. Moreover, the jobs should be completed before their respective due dates; due date constraints are dealt with as hard constraints. The considered performance criterion is makespan. The problem is strongly NP-hard. This paper develops a number of distinct mathematical models for the problem based on different decision variables. Namely, a mixed integer programming model, two quadratic mixed integer programming models, and two constraint programming models are developed. Moreover, a novel graph representation is developed for the problem. This new modeling technique facilitates the investigation of some of the important characteristics of the problem; this results in a number of propositions to rule out a large number of infeasible solutions from the set of all possible permutations. Afterward, the new graph representation and the resulting propositions are incorporated into a new exact algorithm to solve the problem to optimality. To investigate the performance of the mathematical models and to compare them with the developed exact algorithm, a number of test problems are solved and the results are reported. Computational results demonstrate that the developed algorithm is significantly faster than the mathematical models

Overview on: sequencing in mixed model flowshop production line with static and dynamic context

In the present work a literature overview was given on solution techniques considering basic as well as more advanced and consequently more complex arrangements of mixed model flowshops. We first analyzed the occurrence of setup time/cost; existing solution techniques are mainly focused on permutation sequences. Thereafter we discussed objectives resulting in the introduction of variety of methods allowing resequencing of jobs within the line. The possibility of resequencing within the line ranges from 1) offline or intermittent buffers, 2) parallel stations, namely flexible, hybrid or compound flowshops, 3) merging and splitting of parallel lines, 4) re-entrant flowshops, to 5) change job attributes without physically interchanging the position. In continuation the differences in the consideration of static and dynamic demand was studied. Also intermittent setups are possible, depending on the horizon and including the possibility of resequencing, four problem cases were highlighted: static, semi dynamic, nearly dynamic and dynamic case. Finally a general overview was given on existing solution methods, including exact and approximation methods. The approximation methods are furthermore divided in two cases, know as heuristics and methaheuristic

Multi-objective sequence dependent setup times permutation flowshop: A new algorithm and a comprehensive study

The permutation flowshop scheduling problem has been thoroughly studied in recent decades, both from single objective as well as from multi-objective perspectives. To the best of our knowledge, little has been done regarding the multi-objective flowshop with Pareto approach when sequence dependent setup times are considered. As setup times and multi-criteria problems are important in industry, we must focus on this area. We propose a simple, yet powerful algorithm for the sequence dependent setup times flowshop problem with several criteria. The presented method is referred to as Restarted Iterated Pareto Greedy or RIPG and is compared against the best performing approaches from the relevant literature. Comprehensive computational and statistical analyses are carried out in order to demonstrate that the proposed RIPG method clearly outperforms all other algorithms and, as a consequence, it is a state-of- art method for this important and practical scheduling problemThe authors thank the anonymous referees for their careful and detailed comments which have helped improve this manuscript considerably. This work is partially financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, under the projects "SMPA-Advanced Parallel Multiobjective Sequencing: Practical and Theorerical Advances" with reference DPI2008-03511/DPI and "RESULT-Realistic Extended Scheduling Using Light Techniques" with reference DPI2012-36243-C02-01 and by the Small and Medium Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana (IMPIVA) and by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) inside the R+D program "Ayudas dirigidas a Institutos Tecnologicos de la Red IMPIVA" during the year 2011, with project numbers IMDEEA/2011/142 and IMDEEA/2012/143.Ciavotta, M.; Minella, GG.; Ruiz García, R. (2013). Multi-objective sequence dependent setup times permutation flowshop: A new algorithm and a comprehensive study. European Journal of Operational Research. 227(2):301-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2012.12.031S301313227

ADAPTIVE SCHEDULING FOR OPERATING ROOM MANAGEMENT

The perioperative process in hospitals can be modelled as a 3-stage no-wait flow shop. The utilization of OR units and the average waiting time of patients are related to makespan and total completion time, respectively. However, minimizations of makespan and total completion time are NP-hard and NP-complete. Consequently, achieving good effectiveness and efficiency is a challenge in no-wait flow shop scheduling. The average idle time (AIT) and current and future idle time (CFI) heuristics are proposed to minimize makespan and total completion time, respectively. To improve effectiveness, current idle times and future idle times are taken into consideration and the insertion and neighborhood exchanging techniques are used. To improve efficiency, an objective increment method is introduced and the number of iterations is determined to reduce the computation times. Compared with three best-known heuristics for each objective, AIT and CFI heuristics can achieve greater effectiveness in the same computational complexity based on a variety of benchmarks. Furthermore, AIT and CFI heuristics perform better on trade-off balancing compared with other two best-known heuristics. Moreover, using the CFI heuristic for operating room (OR) scheduling, the average patient flow times are decreased by 11.2% over historical ones at University of Kentucky Health Care

A comprehensive review and evaluation of permutation flowshop heuristics to minimize flowtime

[EN] In recent years, a large number of heuristics have been proposed for the minimization of the total or mean flowtime/completion time of the well-known permutation flowshop scheduling problem. Although some literature reviews and comparisons have been made, they do not include the latest available heuristics and results are hard to compare as no common benchmarks and computing platforms have been employed. Furthermore, existing partial comparisons lack the application of powerful statistical tools. The result is that it is not clear which heuristics, especially among the recent ones, are the best. This paper presents a comprehensive review and computational evaluation as well as a statistical assessment of 22 existing heuristics. From the knowledge obtained after such a detailed comparison, five new heuristics are presented. Careful designs of experiments and analyses of variance (ANOVA) techniques are applied to guarantee sound conclusions. The comparison results identify the best existing methods and show that the five newly presented heuristics are competitive or better than the best performing ones in the literature for the permutation flowshop problem with the total completion time criterionThis research is partially supported by National Science Foundation of China (60874075, 61174187), and Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (BS2010DX005), and Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (20100480897). Ruben Ruiz is partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, under the project "SMPA-Advanced Parallel Multiobjective Sequencing: Practical and Theorerical Advances" with reference DPI2008-03511/DPI and by the Small and Medium Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana (IMPIVA) and by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) inside the R+D program "Ayudas dirigidas a Institutos Tecnologicos de la Red IMPIVA" during the year 2011, with project number IMDEEA/2011/142.Pan, Q.; Ruiz García, R. (2013). A comprehensive review and evaluation of permutation flowshop heuristics to minimize flowtime. Computers and Operations Research. 40(1):117-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2012.05.018S11712840