Title: Dynamic project scheduling with reduction of activity durations

Authors: Toshihisa Fujiwara; Hiroshi Morita; Haruhiko Suwa

Addresses: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan ' Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan ' Faculty of Science and Engineering, Setsunan Unversity, 17-8 Ikeda-Nakamachi, Neyagawa City, Osaka 572-8508, Japan

Abstract: This paper deals with a generalised dynamic decision-making model in project scheduling by focusing on both of how we generate an efficient project schedule (how-to-schedule policy) and when a currently-used schedule should be modified (when-to-schedule policy). We propose a new approach to such dynamic project scheduling by using critical path method (CPM) as a how-to-schedule policy. In this approach, we consider adding resources as much as needed to shorten the processing time of some activities so that the project deadline can be met. This CPM-based schedule revision process combined with a when-to-schedule policy is referred to as CPM-based dynamic project scheduling. Through a series of computational experiments, some properties of the proposed method are clarified and the capability of CPM-based dynamic project scheduling is demonstrated.

Keywords: project management; critical path method; CPM; reactive scheduling; processing time; resource constraints; dynamic scheduling; project scheduling; activity durations; decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPOM.2016.078270

International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.259 - 274

Received: 15 Apr 2013
Accepted: 03 Dec 2013

Published online: 14 Aug 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article