Comparative study of whale optimization algorithm and flower pollination algorithm to solve workers assignment problem

Abstract

Many important problems in engineering management can be formulated as Resource Assignment Problem (RAP). The Workers Assignment Problem (WAP) is considered as a sub-class of RAP which aims to find an optimal assignment of workers to a number of tasks in order to optimize certain objectives. WAP is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Due to its importance, several algorithms have been developed to solve it. In this paper, it is considered that a manager is required to provide a training course to his workers in order to improve their level of skill or experience to have a sustainable competitive advantage in the industry. The training cost of each worker to perform a particular job is different. The WAP is to find the best assignment of workers to training courses such that the total training cost is minimized. Two metaheuristic optimizations named Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA) are utilized to final the optimal solution that reduces the total cost. MATLAB Software is used to perform the simulation of the two proposed methods into WAP. The computational results for a set of randomly generated problems of various sizes show that the FPA is able to find good quality solutions.

Optimized PI-PD Control for Varying Time Delay Systems Based on Modified Smith Predictor

“…The pollinator in the biotic process could be performed by the animal and/or the insect. On the other hand, the pollinator in the abiotic process could happen based on the wind and/or the water [30,31]. Yang [29] simulates this behavior of the pollination as a search algorithm to find the optimal solution of an optimization problem.…”

PID-Based Enhanced Flower Pollination Algorithm Controller for Drilling Process in a Composite Material

“…The FPA conducts a global search if >Rand. Each individual agent in the population has its position in the population's pollination search altered by the position of the best answer as shown below [19]:…”

“…Step size pg Best position found by the population If β ≤ 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑑, the FPA performs a local search. In the local pollination search, the each individual agent in the population is adjusted its position by selecting two solutions randomly from the population as follows [19]:…”

Management model based on Relational Marketing to increase customer satisfaction through the implementation of the Knowledge Creation Model.

“…Managers must constantly train their staff to create a competitive advantage in the sector market. It is not enough to simply overload employees with more work and tasks based on their skills and experience, as this can lead to fatigue and dissatisfaction in the long run for the worker [3]. Thus, a highly significant asset for companies is customer knowledge.…”