Algorithms for the Calzedonia workload allocation problem

Abstract

The Workload Assignment Problem consists of assigning a sequence of |S| operations to workers. The order of these operations is fixed. Each operation consists of a batch of B units, hence a total of |J| jobs have to be performed. Each worker is assigned to an ordered subset of consecutive jobs. Workers have different skills, and therefore jobs take a variable time to process, depending on the assigned worker. The study of this problem is rooted in the operations of Calzedonia. In this paper, we briefly introduce the application before presenting algorithms for solving the problem exactly and heuristically. Our computational results compare the performance of a stand-alone mathematical formulation solved by CPLEX, a sequential exact algorithm, and a metaheuristic, with a simple heuristic implemented in the company.