Optimizing Manpower Schedule Through Goal Programming Technique for XYZ Contractor Handling Multiple Construction Projects

Abstract

Creating effective work schedule is a critical job for managers in both product and service oriented companies. According to Corson (2021), manpower scheduling in construction industry is a complex and time-consuming process due to the dynamic nature. This study strategically addressed the problem of putting the right people, right number of people, to right projects at the right time through optimizing the manpower scheduling using goal programming. The study used quantitative research as this is a systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena through mathematical techniques. Since the proposed model contains multiple goals, this manpower scheduling problem was modeled using weighted goal programming with three goals with assigned priority. The formulated model, which contained 544 decision variables and 158 constraints, was tested in a XYZ Contractor handling multiple projects wherein the necessary data including manpower’s expertise (worker performance) rating, number of projects, number of groups which was based on the number of shifts, and the required number of manpower for each project. OpenSolver was used to obtain the optimal solution in less than a minute. The results of the formulated model provided an optimal manpower schedule wherein the expertise or workers’ performance were maximized and the deviations were minimized.