Enhancing Online Job Shop Scheduling Efficiency: Simulation-Based Optimization Incorporating Human Productivity Factors and TOPSIS Ranking

The job shop scheduling problem is a classical optimization challenge aimed at determining the optimal processing order by assigning a set of resources to a corresponding set of operations. This article investigates various approaches to address the online job shop scheduling problem, employing a simulation-based study. Dispatching rules are applied to allocate resources to operations, with discrete event simulation used for problem assessment. The study also incorporates human productivity factors, specifically investigating the shortest processing time (SPT) dispatching rule in a separate scenario. Five distinct scenarios are simulated, including four dispatching rules (first in, first out; last in, first out; longest processing time; and SPT) and an additional scenario integrating the SPT rule and human productivity factors. The simulation results are used to compare makespan across these scenarios, revealing that the scenario involving the SPT dispatching rule and human productivity factors represents the shortest makespan. Through a TOPSIS technique-based ranking, considering makespan and cost as criteria, the study identifies the SPT rule and human productivity factors as the most efficient scenario. The findings imply that employing human productivity factors with effective dispatching rules, such as SPT, can significantly improve job shop scheduling operational efficiency and lead to more optimal results in both makespan and overall operational costs.