Using Genetic Algorithms for Dynamic Scheduling

In most practical environments, scheduling is an ongoing reactive process where the presence of real time information continually forces reconsideration and revision of pre-established schedules. Scheduling algorithms that achieve good or near optimal solutions and can efficiently adapt them to perturbations are, in most cases, preferable to those that achieve optimal ones but that cannot implement such an adaptation. This reality, motivated us to concentrate on tools, which could deal with such dynamic, disturbed scheduling problems, both for single and multi-machine manufacturing settings, even though, due to the complexity of these problems, optimal solutions may not be possible to find. We decided to address the problem drawing upon the potential of Genetic Algorithms to deal with such complex situations. We decided to address the problem drawing upon the potential of Genetic Algorithms to deal with such complex situations. Since in a sense natural evolution is a process of continuous adaptation, it seems appropriate to consider Genetic Algorithms as good candidates for dynamic scheduling problems. This paper is concerned with vertical oriented detailed scheduling of Extended Job-Shop on dynamic environments. It addresses the scheduling of tasks, either simple or complex products, comprehending the parts fabrication and their multistage assembly into complex products.