Article: A bi-objective optimisation approach for the critical chain project scheduling problem Journal: International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics (IJCSM) 2021 Vol.13 No.4 pp.311 - 330 Abstract: Since time and cost are two important issues in real-life project scheduling applications, the optimisation problems about project make-span and cost have been extensively studied over the last few decades. This study addresses the bi-objective critical chain project scheduling problem aiming at minimising both project make-span and cost. We formulate the conceptual model considering project make-span and cost under both the resource-constraints and precedence relations. In the model, the promised delivery time is used as project make-span, and the discounted cost is used to measure project cost. To solve the problem, an evolutionary algorithm based on greedy randomised adaptive search procedure (GRASP) is proposed to search for the non-dominated solutions of the problem. Several neighbourhood search methods are investigated and compared with each other regarding four multi-objective performance measures: optimal ratio, hyper-volume indicator, epsilon metric and average distance. The computational tests have indicated the algorithm with variable neighbourhood appears to be superior to others. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: A bi-objective optimisation approach for the critical chain project scheduling problem

Authors: Wuliang Peng; Jiali Lin; Xueli Ma

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China ' School of Economics and Management, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China ' School of Economics and Management, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China

Abstract: Since time and cost are two important issues in real-life project scheduling applications, the optimisation problems about project make-span and cost have been extensively studied over the last few decades. This study addresses the bi-objective critical chain project scheduling problem aiming at minimising both project make-span and cost. We formulate the conceptual model considering project make-span and cost under both the resource-constraints and precedence relations. In the model, the promised delivery time is used as project make-span, and the discounted cost is used to measure project cost. To solve the problem, an evolutionary algorithm based on greedy randomised adaptive search procedure (GRASP) is proposed to search for the non-dominated solutions of the problem. Several neighbourhood search methods are investigated and compared with each other regarding four multi-objective performance measures: optimal ratio, hyper-volume indicator, epsilon metric and average distance. The computational tests have indicated the algorithm with variable neighbourhood appears to be superior to others.

Keywords: project scheduling; critical chain method; multi-objective optimisation; evolutionary algorithm; meta-heuristic algorithm; GRASP; greedy randomised adaptive search procedure; neighbourhood search; project management; hyper-volume indicator.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCSM.2021.117596

International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics, 2021 Vol.13 No.4, pp.311 - 330

Received: 13 May 2019
Accepted: 19 Oct 2019
Published online: 15 Sep 2021 *

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Title: A bi-objective optimisation approach for the critical chain project scheduling problem

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