Pareto‑optimal workforce scheduling with worker skills and preferences
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Date
2025-02
Authors
İşeri, Ali
Güner, Hatice
Güner, Ali Rıza
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
This paper addresses employee scheduling in service operations, considering various skill and skill levels and the fuctuating customer demand throughout the day and week. Employee shift and day-of preferences are also considered to enhance morale. We propose a two-stage integer programming model. In the frst stage, the model optimizes the number of employees required for each shift period, ensuring uniform distribution of overstafng to improve customer service. A Pareto frontier approach is applied between the two stages, ofering decision-makers a set of nondominated solutions that balance overstafng and understafng. The second stage uses the selected Pareto-optimal solution to assign shifts and day-ofs to employees, incorporating their skills, preferences, and fairness considerations. Our model implicitly includes shifts and breaks, reducing decision variables and computational time. Using real data from a dining restaurant chain, we validate the model’s efectiveness in enhancing customer service and reducing labor costs by 12.3% compared to manual scheduling. Furthermore, productivity and employee satisfaction improve by considering individual skills and preferences.
Description
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
Keywords
Hierarchical workforce scheduling , Pareto optimality , Employee preferences , Tour scheduling , Service industry
Citation
İşeri, A., Güner, H. & Güner (2025). A.R. Pareto-optimal workforce scheduling with worker skills and preferences. Operational Research, 25, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12351-025-00903-7
