Algorithms for the multiperiod workforce scheduling and routing problem with dependent tasks

Abstract

Logistics problems lie at the core of industries' everyday operations. These types of problems are also one of the main points of interest in the operational research field of study. In recent years, the workforce scheduling and routing problems (WSRP) class of optimization problems has gained significant attention from researchers. In this paper, a recently proposed WSRP is studied: the multiperiod WSRP with dependent tasks. In this problem, a given company provides services by means of heterogeneously skilled mobile teams. Service requests are known beforehand and each service is composed of one or more activities. Execution of one activity may depend on the completion of another. A feasible schedule in which the requested activities are completed in the minimum amount of days must be provided. Two matheuristic algorithms are proposed. Several new upper bounds for a set of instances from the literature are discovered.