Identi " cation of aggregate resource and job set characteristics for predicting job set makespan in batch process industries

We study multipurpose batch process industries with no-wait restrictions, overlapping processing steps, and parallel resources. To achieve high utilization and reliable lead times, the master planner needs to be able to accurately and quickly estimate the makespan of a job set. Because constructing a schedule is time consuming, and production plans may change frequently, estimates must be based on aggregate characteristics of the job set. To estimate the makespan of a complex set of jobs, we introduce the concept of job interaction. Using statistical analysis, we show that a limited number of characteristics of the job set and the available resources can explain most of the variability in the job interaction. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.