Project Scheduling Problems with Constraints on Personnel Scheduling

Abstract

This paper addresses the multifaceted decision-making optimization problem of determining the quantity of in-house and outsourced personnel required for projects, as well as the day-off scheduling for in-house staff, aimed at enhancing project management efficiency. With the backdrop of rapidly changing market demands and the accelerated development of emerging technologies, project-oriented organizations, characterized by their project-centric nature, exhibit high levels of innovation, flexibility, and adaptability, with their influence continually expanding. However, these organizations also encounter challenges related to project downtime, employee retention, and personnel scheduling. Building on the traditional discrete time/resource trade-off problem in project scheduling, this study unpacks the resource component into in-house and outsourced personnel. It also imposes constraints on the consecutive days off and the maximum continuous working hours for in-house staff, thereby establishing an integer programming model. To meet the computational demands of large-scale problems, this paper introduces an Iterated Local Search algorithm for the integrated solution of multi-mode project scheduling and personnel allocation. Through experimental analysis, the effectiveness of the model is demonstrated, and the paper explores the impact of the maximum continuous working hours for staff vacations, and the pricing of in-house and outsourced personnel on decision-making. This provides project-oriented organizations with guidance on conducting project activities, arranging in-house staff vacations rationally, and pricing for internal and external personnel.