We investigate the automated algorithm selection for a workforce scheduling problem that is solved by two different approaches. The solver based on constraint programming techniques has several advantages and it has been used successfully in the industry. However, this algorithm can not solve very large instances in a reasonable amount of time. The metaheuristic solver overcomes this limitation...

In this paper we propose a new tabu search hyperheuristic which makes individual low level heuristics tabu dynamically using an analogy with the Binary Exponential Back Off (BEBO) method used in network communication. We compare this method to a reduced Variable Neighbourhood Search (rVNS), greedy and random hyperheuristic approaches and other tabu search based heuristics for a complex real wor...

This paper reports a Fast Local Search (FLS) algorithm which helps to improve the efficiency of hill climbing and a Guided Local Search (GLS) Algorithm which is developed to help local search to escape local optima and distribute search effort. To illustrate how these algorithms work, this paper describes their application to British Telecom’s workforce scheduling problem, which is a hard real ...

In this paper we study a complex real world workforce scheduling problem. We apply constructive search and variable neighbourhood search (VNS) metaheuristics and enhance these methods by using a variable fitness function. The variable fitness function (VFF) uses an evolutionary approach to evolve weights for each of the (multiple) objectives. The variable fitness function can potentially enhanc...

This paper reports a Fast Local Search (FLS) algorithm which helps to improve the efficiency of hill climbing and a Guided Local Search (GLS) Algorithm which is developed to help local search to escape local optima and distribute search effort. To illustrate how these algorithms work, this paper describes their application to British Telecom’s workforce scheduling problem, which is a hard real ...

This paper presents a method for constructing the workforce schedules of an aircraft maintenance company. The method integrates both the staffing and the scheduling decision. We formulate the optimization problem using a mixed integer linear programming approach and solve it heuristically using a branch-and-bound enumeration framework. Each node of the tree represents a combination of teams and...

Computational methods for rostering and personnel scheduling has been a subject of continued research and commercial interest since the 1950s. This annotated bibliography puts together a comprehensive collection of some 700 references in this area, focusing mainly on algorithms for generating rosters and personnel schedules but also covering related areas such as workforce planning and estimati...

This paper reports a Fast Local Search (FLS) algorithm which helps to improve the efficiency of hill climbing and a Guided Local Search (GLS) Algorithm which is developed to help local search to escape local optima and distribute search effort. To illustrate how these algorithms work, this paper describes their application to British Telecom’s workforce scheduling problem, which is a hard real ...