Resource Constrained Multi-project Scheduling: Application in Software Company

Abstract

Project scheduling is a common problem of today's companies, which have project type production system. Project scheduling is a mechanism to communicate what tasks need to get done and which organizational resources will be allocated to complete those tasks in what timeframe. In this study, it is aimed to find the shortest completion time of projects and the starting/ending time of each activity as well in a software company, which is running simultaneous projects including multiple activities with predecessors under limited resources. The linear programming formulations in the literature are searched to solve the scheduling problem. The considered model is coded in OPL (Optimization Programming Language). The CPLEX solver engine is used to find the best solution of the coded formulation. In order to facilitate the execution of the project scheduling activities at the company, a computer application in the JAVA programming language is developed. This application also helps to generate the OPL code of the model and as well as to solve the model. In this way, it is possible for the employees to direct the basic scheduling activities more accurately, quickly and efficiently.