Workforce scheduling with synchronization constraints and ergonomic aspects at cross dock platforms

Year 2021, Volume: 25 Issue: 1, 113 - 128, 01.02.2021

Parmis Shahmalekı Alpaslan Fığlalı

Abstract

This research studied a practical scheduling problem arising in the repackaging phase of cross-dock platforms. Packaging/repackaging is one of the significant concerns in cross-dock internal operations, where most of the tasks have been done by a number limited of teams. The problem also contains many practical constraints such as synchronization between teams and ergonomic aspects,as well as several managerial constraints. These conditions make internal workforce scheduling a complex and important issue for cross-docks. Implementation of the decision support system for planning and manpower scheduling in the repackaging phase of a cross-dock is encouraged us for this research. We try to model a real-world problem from automotive industry. Due to the non-deterministic polynomial time hardness (NP-hard) of the problem, finding a good solution is difficult.Therefore a novel greedy construction heuristic algorithm is proposed. We apply this heuristic method for real problem instances. Although the current process of planning and scheduling is manually and time consuming, our proposed algorithm generates good results for real problem instances in reasonable times.

Keywords

staff scheduling, ergonomics, Synchronization constraints, Greedy construction heuristic, Cross-dock

References

• [1] C. Serrano, X. Delorme, and A. Dolgui, "Distribution and operation planning at a cross-dock platform: A case of study at Renault," in 2015 4th International Conference on Advanced Logistics and Transport (ICALT), 2015: IEEE, pp. 193-198.
• [2] M. P. Fanti, G. Stecco, and W. Ukovich, "Solving Scheduling Problems in Distribution Centers by Mixed Integer Linear Programming Formulations," IFAC Proceedings Volumes, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 8205-8210, 2011/01/01/ 2011, doi: https://doi.org/10.3182/20110828-6-IT-1002.03532.
• [3] Y. Li, A. Lim, and B. Rodrigues, "Crossdocking—JIT scheduling with time windows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 55, no. 12, pp. 1342-1351, 2004.
• [4] Y. Maknoon and G. Laporte, "Vehicle routing with cross-dock selection," Computers & Operations Research, vol. 77, pp. 254-266, 2017.
• [5] A. Dohn, E. Kolind, and J. Clausen, "The manpower allocation problem with time windows and job-teaming constraints: A branch-and-price approach," Computers & Operations Research, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 1145-1157, 2009.
• [6] C. D. Wickens, S. E. Gordon, and Y. Liu, "An introduction to human factors engineering," 1998.
• [7] "International Ergonomics Association. Definition and Domains of Ergonomics. ." https://www.iea.cc. (2020).
• [8] B. J. Carnahan, M. S. Redfern, and B. Norman, "Designing safe job rotation schedules using optimization and heuristic search," Ergonomics, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 543-560, 2000.
• [9] J. Boudreau, W. Hopp, J. O. McClain, and L. J. Thomas, "On the interface between operations and human resources management," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 179-202, 2003.
• [10] E. J. Lodree Jr, C. D. Geiger, and X. Jiang, "Taxonomy for integrating scheduling theory and human factors: Review and research opportunities," International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 39-51, 2009.
• [11] T. R. Waters, V. Putz-Anderson, A. Garg, and L. J. Fine, "Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks," Ergonomics, vol. 36, no. 7, pp. 749-776, 1993.
• [12] J. S. Moore and A. Garg, "The Strain Index: a proposed method to analyze jobs for risk of distal upper extremity disorders," (in eng), Am Ind Hyg Assoc J, vol. 56, no. 5, pp. 443-58, May 1995, doi: 10.1080/15428119591016863.
• [13] L. McAtamney and E. N. Corlett, "RULA: a survey method for the investigation of work-related upper limb disorders," Applied ergonomics, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 91-99, 1993.
• [14] S. Hignett and L. McAtamney, "Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)," Applied Ergonomics, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 201-205, 2000/04/03/ 2000, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-6870(99)00039-3.
• [15] "EAWS website." www.eaws.it (2015).
• [16] E. Occhipinti, "OCRA: a concise index for the assessment of exposure to repetitive movements of the upper limbs," (in eng), Ergonomics, vol. 41, no. 9, pp. 1290-311, Sep 1998, doi: 10.1080/001401398186315.
• [17] J. Rosecrance, R. Paulsen, and L. Murgia, "Risk assessment of cheese processing tasks using the Strain Index and OCRA Checklist," International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, vol. 61, pp. 142-148, 2017/09/01/ 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2017.05.009.
• [18] L. Tiacci and M. Mimmi, "Integrating ergonomic risks evaluation through OCRA index and balancing/sequencing decisions for mixed model stochastic asynchronous assembly lines," Omega, vol. 78, pp. 112-138, 2018/07/01/ 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2017.08.011.
• [19] Y. Li, A. Lim, and B. Rodrigues, "Manpower allocation with time windows and job‐teaming constraints," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 302-311, 2005.
• [20] S. C. Ho and J. M. Leung, "Solving a manpower scheduling problem for airline catering using metaheuristics," European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 202, no. 3, pp. 903-921, 2010.
• [21] A. Lim, B. Rodrigues, and L. Song, "Manpower allocation with time windows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 55, no. 11, pp. 1178-1186, 2004.
• [22] Z. Luo, H. Qin, W. Zhu, and A. Lim, "Branch‐and‐price‐and‐cut for the manpower routing problem with synchronization constraints," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 138-171, 2016.
• [23] Y. Cai, Z. Zhang, S. Guo, H. Qin, and A. Lim, "A Tree-Based Tabu Search Algorithm for the Manpower Allocation Problem with TimeWindows and Job-Teaming Constraints," in Twenty-Third International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2013.
• [24] J. A. Nasir and Y.-H. Kuo, "A decision support framework for home health care transportation with simultaneous multi-vehicle routing and staff scheduling synchronization," Decision Support Systems, p. 113361, 2020/07/15/ 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2020.113361.
• [25] J. Hochdörffer, M. Hedler, and G. Lanza, "Staff scheduling in job rotation environments considering ergonomic aspects and preservation of qualifications," Journal of manufacturing systems, vol. 46, pp. 103-114, 2018.
• [26] A. Otto and O. Battaïa, "Reducing physical ergonomic risks at assembly lines by line balancing and job rotation: A survey," Computers & Industrial Engineering, vol. 111, pp. 467-480, 2017.
• [27] S.-Y. Yoon, J. Ko, and M.-C. Jung, "A model for developing job rotation schedules that eliminate sequential high workloads and minimize between-worker variability in cumulative daily workloads: Application to automotive assembly lines," Applied ergonomics, vol. 55, pp. 8-15, 2016.
• [28] R. Paulsen, T. Gallu, D. Gilkey, R. Reiser, 2nd, L. Murgia, and J. Rosecrance, "The inter-rater reliability of Strain Index and OCRA Checklist task assessments in cheese processing," (in eng), Appl Ergon, vol. 51, pp. 199-204, Nov 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2015.04.019.
• [29] D. Reis, A. Moro, E. Ramos, and P. Reis, "Upper Limbs Exposure to Biomechanical Overload: Occupational Risk Assessment in a Poultry Slaughterhouse," Cham, 2016: Springer International Publishing, in Advances in Physical Ergonomics and Human Factors, pp. 275-282.
• [30] A. M. Lasota, "Ergonomic evaluation of physical risk for packing line operators," Logistics and Transport, vol. 26, 2015.
• [31] V. Occhionero, R. Ghersi, L. Prandini, L. Korpinen, and F. Gobba, "The biomechanical overload of the upper limb: a neglected occupational hazard in animal facility operators," Ergonomics, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 366-374, 2017/03/04 2017, doi: 10.1080/00140139.2016.1176257.
• [32] E. Occhipinti and D. Colombini, "A Checklist for Evaluating Exposure to Repetitive Movements of the Upper Limbs Based on the OCRA Index," 2010.
• [33] D. Colombini, E. Occhipinti, and E. Álvarez-Casado, "The revised OCRA Checklist method," Editorial Factors Humans: Barcelona, Spain, 2013.
• [34] M. Pinedo, Scheduling, vol. 29. Springer, 2012.
• [35] O. Holthaus and C. Rajendran, “New dispatching rules for scheduling in a job shop — An experimental study,” Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 148–153, 1997.
• [36] S. Jun, S. Lee, and H. Chun, “Learning dispatching rules using random forest in flexible job shop scheduling problems,” Int. J. Prod. Res., vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 3290–3310, May 2019.
• [37] Tsung-Che Chiang and Li-Chen Fu, “Using dispatching rules for job shop scheduling with due date-based objectives,” in Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006., May 2006, pp. 1426–1431.