Abstract
An appropriate tabu search implementation is designed to solve the resource constrained project scheduling problem. This approach uses well defined move strategies and a structured neighbourhood, defines appropriate tabu status and tenure and takes account of objective function approximation to speed up the search process. A sound understanding of the problem has helped in many ways in designing and enhancing the tabu search methodology. The method uses diversification, intensification and handles infeasibility via strategic oscillation.
The above methodology is tested on existing problems from the literature and also on parametrically generated problems with encouraging results. For comparison of results, optimal solutions are used in the former and lower bounds obtained by Lagrangian heuristics are used in the latter.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alvarez-Valdes, R. and J.M. Tamarit. (1989). “Heuristic Algorithms for Resource Constrained Project Scheduling: A Review and An Empirical Analysis.” In R. Slowinski and J. Weglarz (eds.), Advances in Project Scheduling, Elsevier, pp. 113-134.
Bell, C.E. and J. Han. (1991). “A New Heuristic Solution Method in Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling,” Naval Research Logistics 38, 315-331.
Christofides, N., R. Alvarez-Valdes, and J.M. Tamarit. (1987). “Project Scheduling with Resource Constraints: A Branch and Bound Approach,” European Journal of Operational Research 29, 262-273.
Davis, E.W. and J.H. Patterson. (1975). “A Comparison of Heuristic and Optimum Solutions in Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling,” Management Science 21, 944-955.
Glover, F., E. Taillard, and D. de Werra. (1993). “A User's Guide to Tabu Search,” Annals of Operations Research 41, 3-28.
Glover, F. and M. Laguna. (1997). Tabu Search. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Kelley, J.P., B.L. Golden, and A.A. Assad. (1993). “Large-Scale Controlled Rounding Using Tabu Search with Strategic Oscillation,” Annals of Operations Research 41, 69-84.
Khattab, M.M. and F. Choobineh. (1991). “A New Approach for Project Scheduling with a Limited Resource,” International Journal of Production Research 29, 185-198.
Lee, J.-K. and Y.-D. Kim. (1996). “Search Heuristics for Resource Constrained Project Scheduling,” Journal of the Operational Research Society. 47(5), 678-689.
Li, K.Y. and R.J. Willis. (1992). “An Iterative Scheduling Technique for Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling,” European Journal of Operational Research 56, 370-379.
Osman, I.H. and G. Laporte. (1996). “Metaheuristics: A Bibliography,” Annals of Operations Research 63, 513-623.
Osman, I.H. and S. Salhi. (1996). “Local Search Strategies for the Vehicle Fle Mix Problem.” In Rayward-Smith, I.H. Osman, C.R. Reeves, and G.D. Smith (eds.), Modern Heuristic Search Methods, Wiley, pp. 131-154.
Ozdamar, L. and G. Ulusoy. (1995). “A Survey on the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem,” IIE Transactions 27, 574-586.
Patterson, J.H. (1984). “A Comparison of Exact Approaches for Solving the Multiple Constrained Resources, Project Scheduling Problem,” Management Science 30(7), 854-867.
Salhi, S. (1994). “A Constructive/Tabu Search Approach for a Class of Location Problems.” Presented at EUROXIII/OR36, Glasgow.
Salhi, S. (1998). “Heuristic Search Methods.” In G. Marcoulides (ed.), Modern Methods for Business Research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Publishers, pp. 147-175.
Sampson, S.E. and E.N. Weiss. (1993). “Local Search Techniques for the Generalised Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem,” Naval Research Logistics 40, 665-675.
Taillard, E. (1993). “Parallel Iterative Search Methods for Vehicle Routing Problems,” Networks 23, 661-676.
Thomas, P.R. and S. Salhi. (1995). “A Lagrangian Heuristic Approach for the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem.” Working Paper 33/95, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Birmingham.
Thomas, P.R. and S. Salhi. (1997). “An Investigation into the Relationship of Heuristic performance with Network-Resource Characteristics,” Journal of the Operational Research Society 48, 34-43.
Ulusoy, G. and L. Ozdamar. (1989). “Heuristic Performance and Network/Resource Characteristics in Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling,” Journal of the Operational Research Society 40, 1145-1152.
Ulusoy, G. and L. Ozdamar. (1994). “A Constraint-Based Perspective in Resource Constrained Project Scheduling,” International Journal of Production Research 32, 693-705.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thomas, P.R., Salhi, S. A Tabu Search Approach for the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. Journal of Heuristics 4, 123–139 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009673512884
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009673512884