Rota: a research project on algorithms for workforce scheduling and shift design optimization

The typical process of planning and scheduling a rotating workforce in an organization consists in designing shifts and then assigning employees to these shifts and to periods of rest (days-off). Successfully solving these problems has high practical relevance: Results from ergonomics indicate that shift schedules have a profound impact on the health and satisfaction of employees as well as on their performance at work. The solutions must also satisfy legal requirements and should meet the objectives of the employing organization. In the research project Rota, undertaken by the Database and Artificial Intelligence Group at the Vienna University of Technology in cooperation with Ximes Corp., systems for the design of shifts and assignment of employees to shifts and days-off were developed. We give an overview of these systems.