Scheduling Computer and Manufacturing Processes 2nd Edition
J. Blaszewicz, K.H. Ecker, E. Pesch, G. Schmidt and J. WeglorzSpringer2001485 pp.ISBN 3-540-41931-4£62.50 (hardcover)
Keywords: Manufacturing, Scheduling
Scheduling Computer and Manufacturing Processes addresses the allocation of tasks and resources to ensure that certain scheduling objectives are met. It provides a theoretical and application oriented analysis of deterministic scheduling problems arising in computer and manufacturing environments.
The first chapter of the book provides a brief introduction to the subject and outlines the remaining chapters. Chapter 2 discusses the basics of scheduling analysis and addresses topics including sets and relations, graphs and networks, enumerative methods, and heuristic and approximation algorithms. Chapter 3 addresses Definition, Analysis and Classification of Scheduling Problems.
Scheduling on One Processor, and Scheduling on Parallel Processors are discussed in chapters 4 and 5. Topics covered in these sections include:minimising scheduling length; minimising mean flow time; minimising change-over cost; and minimising due date involving criteria. Chapter 6 addresses Communication Delays and Multiprocessor Tasks.
Scheduling in Flow and Open Shops is addressed in chapter 7, while chapter 8 discusses Scheduling in Jobs Shops. The classical model, scheduling multiprocessor tasks, and scheduling with continuous resources, are amongst the subjects presented in chapter 9, Scheduling Under Resource Constraints.
Scheduling in Flexible Manufacturing Systems is discussed in chapter 10 and covers: scheduling flexible flow and dynamic job shops; simultaneous scheduling and routing in some flexible manufacturing systems; and batch scheduling in flexible flow shops under resource constraints. The final chapter of the book,Computer Integrated Production Scheduling, addresses scheduling in computer integrated manufacturing; a reference model for production scheduling; and IPS:an intelligent production scheduling system.
This book has a written style which is useful for those who are keen to implement the algorithms presented, as many of them are expressed as pseudo code. A sound understanding of mathematics is required as instead of being eased into the subject, chapter 2 launches the reader into an analysis of sets and relations. Overall, this is a useful and informative text which is suitable for graduates and advanced undergraduate students from computer science,engineering, management science and applied mathematics disciplines. It will also be of use to researchers and practitioners who are interested and involved with scheduling problems.
Jon Rigelsford
