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An integrated approach to worker assignment, workforce flexibility acquisition, and task rotation

Azizi, Nader, Liang, Ming (2013) An integrated approach to worker assignment, workforce flexibility acquisition, and task rotation. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 64 . pp. 260-275. ISSN 0160-5682. (doi:10.1057/jors.2012.30) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:29945)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided. (Contact us about this Publication)
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/jors.2012.30

Abstract

In a manufacturing environment, workforce flexibility can be achieved by cross-training and improved via job rotation. In firms with a flexible workforce, employees perform different tasks and functions in response to fluctuations in both product demands and labour resources. This paper presents a mathematical programming model that assigns workers to tasks, rotates workers between the tasks, and determines the training schedule. The objective is to minimize the total costs including training cost, flexibility cost, and productivity loss cost. A constructive-search heuristic is also developed to solve the proposed model. The algorithm provides good solutions in two phases: construction and improvement. At the construction phase, a solution is built using some problem-specific information. The quality of the solution is then enhanced by changing worker assignments at a particular time point during a planning horizon. Our computational results for a number of randomly generated test problems confirms the efficiently of the proposed method.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1057/jors.2012.30
Uncontrolled keywords: worker assignment; workforce flexibility; task rotation; heuristics
Subjects: H Social Sciences
H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Kent Business School (do not use)
Depositing User: Catherine Norman
Date Deposited: 27 Jul 2012 09:20 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2021 12:40 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/29945 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Azizi, Nader.

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