EMPLOYEE SCHEDULING : AN ASPECT OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Services play a vital role in a nation’s economy, particularly in developed economies, where more people are employed in the service sector than in any other sector. In view of its importance, much research has gone into the design and management of service delivery systems, particularly in the area of improving and maintaining service quality. One important aspect of service management is the scheduling of employees. Employee scheduling is important in helping a service organisation maintain its competitiveness and the morale of its staff. Good employee scheduling takes into account the physiological and recreational needs, and preferences of employees while trying to achieve a balance between service levels on the one hand and staff utilization on the other. Although there are many types of employee scheduling problems, they may be broadly classified into the following categories: days off scheduling, shift scheduling, tour scheduling, transit crew scheduling and airline crew scheduling. This thesis examines in depth the first four types of employee scheduling problems. Various published algorithms on these types of scheduling problem are reviewed