Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A robust scheduling of projects with time, cost, and quality considerations

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Quality is one of the main pillars that should be effectively considered in managing of industrial projects. In traditional project scheduling problems, only the time and cost are considered without the quality parameters. In this paper, it is suggested that the quality parameter is embedded into the traditional time–cost trade-off problem to develop a time, cost, and quality trade-off problem (TCQTP) with some practical assumptions. To the best of our knowledge, this problem has not been extensively treated in literature yet. The contributions of this article are in threefold: (1) incorporating a practical assumption to the TCQTP that is a relaxation of deterministic assumption to stochastic ones, which no paper has ever attempted to consider it in TCQTP; (2) relaxing the linearity assumption of time function, cost function, and quality function to a general form; and (3) integrating the TCQTP with a robust solution method to minimize the variation effect on time, cost, and quality. Computational experiments, which were done on benchmark problem, show the applicability and good performance of suggested TCQTP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Haga W, Marold K (2004) A simulation approach to the PERT/CPM time–cost trade-off problem. Proj Manag J 35:31–37

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hazır Ö, Haouari M, Erel E (2010) Discrete time/cost trade-off problem: a decomposition-based solution algorithm for the budget version. Comput Oper Res 37:649–655

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Moussourakis J, Haksever C (2010) Project compression with nonlinear cost functions. J Constr Eng Manag 136:251–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Berman EB (1964) Resource allocation in a PERT network under continuous activity time cost functions. Manag Sci 10:734–745

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Foldes S, Soumis F (1993) PERT and crashing revisited: mathematical generalization. Eur J Oper Res 64:286–294

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Arisawa S, Elmaghraby SE (1972) Optimal time–cost trade-offs in GERT networks. Manag Sci 18:589–599

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Gutjahr WJ, Strauss C, Wagner E (2000) A stochastic branch-and-bound approach to activity crashing in project management. INFORMS J Comput 12:125–135

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Bergman R (2009) A heuristic procedure for solving the dynamic probabilistic project expediting problem. Eur J Oper Res 192:125–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Golenko-Ginzberg D, Gonik A (1998) A heuristic for network project scheduling with random activity durations depending on the resource allocation. Int J Prod Econ 55:149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Abbasi G, Mukattash AM (2001) Crashing PERT networks using mathematical programming. Int J Proj Manag 19:181–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mitchell G, Klastorin T (2007) An effective methodology for the stochastic project compression problem. IIE Trans 39:957–969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Berman EB (1964) Resource allocation in PERT network under continuous time–cost functions. Manag Sci 10:734–745

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Vrat P, Kriengkrairut C (1986) A goal programming model for project crashing with piecewise linear time–cost trade-offs. Eng Costs Prod Econ 10:161–172

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bowman RA (1995) Efficient estimation of arc criticalities in stochastic activity networks. Manag Sci 41:58–67

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Sunde L, Lichtenberg S (1995) Net-present value cost/time trade off. Int J Proj Manag 13:45–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Feng CW, Liu L, Burns SA (2000) Stochastic construction time–cost trade off analysis. J Comput Civ Eng 14:117–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yau C, Ritche E (1990) Project compression: a method for speeding up resource constrained projects which preserve the activity schedule. Eur J Oper Res 49:140–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Godinho PC, Costa JP (2007) A stochastic multimode model for time cost tradeoffs under management flexibility. OR Spectr 29:311–334

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  19. Azaron A, Katagiri H, Sakawa M, Kato K, Memariani A (2006) A multi objective resource allocation problem in PERT networks. Eur J Oper Res 172:838–854

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Azaron A, Tavakkoli-Moghaddam R (2006) A multi objective resource allocation problem in dynamic PERT networks. Eur J Oper Res 181:163–174

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Azaron A, Katagiri H, Sakawa M (2007) Time–cost trade-off via optimal control theory in Markov PERT networks. Ann Oper Res 150:47–64

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Azaron A, Perkgoz C, Sakawa M (2005) A genetic algorithm approach for the time–cost trade-off in PERT networks. Appl Math Comput 168:1317–1339

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Aghaie A, Mokhtari H (2009) Ant colony optimization algorithm for stochastic project crashing problem in PERT networks using MC simulation. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 45:1051–1067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Mokhtari H, Aghaie A, Rahimi J, Mozdgir A (2010) Project time–cost trade-off scheduling: a hybrid optimization approach. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 50:811–822. doi:10.1007/s00170-010-2543-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Vanhoucke M (2005) New computational results for the discrete time/cost trade-off problem with time-switch constraints. Eur J Oper Res 165:359–374

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Robinson DR (1975) A dynamic programming solution to cost–time tradeoff for CPM. Manag Sci 22:158–166

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Akkan C, Drexl A, Kimms A (2000) Network decomposition for the discrete time/cost trade-off problem—part 1: models and bounding methods. In: Extended abstracts of the Seventh International Workshop on Project Management and Scheduling, April 17–19, Osnabruck pp. 29–31

  28. Akkan C, Drexl A, Kimms A (2000) Network decomposition for the discrete time/cost trade-off problem—part 2: network decomposition and computational results. In: Extended abstracts of the Seventh International Workshop on Project Management and Scheduling, April 17–19, Osnabruck, pp. 32–34

  29. Bowman RA (1994) Stochastic gradient-based time–cost tradeoffs in PERT networks using simulation. Ann Oper Res 53:533–551

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. Feng CW, Liu L, Burns SA (1997) Using genetic algorithms to solve construction time–cost trade-off problems. J Comput Civ Eng 11:184–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Xiong Y, Kuang Y (2008) Applying an ant colony optimization algorithm-based multiobjective approach for time–cost trade-off. J Constr Eng Manag 134(2):153–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Babu AJG, Suresh N (1996) Project management with time, cost, and quality considerations. Eur J Oper Res 88:320–327

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  33. Khang DB, Myint YM (1999) Time, cost and quality trade-off in project management: a case study. Int J Proj Manag 17(4):249–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Tareghian HR, Taheri H (2006) On the discrete time, cost and quality trade-off problem. Appl Math Comput 181:1305–1312

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  35. El-Rayes K, Kandil A (2005) Time–cost–quality trade-off analysis for highway construction. J Constr Eng Manag 131(4):477–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Rahimi M, Iranmanesh H (2008) Multi objective particle swarm optimization for time, cost and quality trade-off problem. World Appl Sci J 4(2):270–276

    Google Scholar 

  37. Iranmanesh H, Skandari M, Allahverdilloo M (2008) Finding Pareto optimal front for the multi-mode time, cost quality trade-off in project scheduling. Proceedings of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 30:1307–6884

    Google Scholar 

  38. Chiao C-H, Hamada M (2001) Analyzing experiments with correlated multiple responses. J Qual Technol 33(4):451–465

    Google Scholar 

  39. Myers R, Carter W Jr (1973) Response surface techniques for dual response systems. Technometrics 15:301–317

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  40. Derringer G, Suich R (1980) Simultaneous optimization of several response variables. J Qual Technol 12:214–219

    Google Scholar 

  41. Pignatiello J (1993) Strategies for robust multiresponse quality engineering. IIE Trans 25:5–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Ali Salmasnia, Hadi Mokhtari & Isa Nakhai Kamal Abadi

Authors
  1. Ali Salmasnia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hadi Mokhtari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Isa Nakhai Kamal Abadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isa Nakhai Kamal Abadi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Salmasnia, A., Mokhtari, H. & Nakhai Kamal Abadi, I. A robust scheduling of projects with time, cost, and quality considerations. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 60, 631–642 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-011-3627-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-011-3627-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation