Scheduling resource-constrained projects with a flexible project structure

In projects with a flexible project structure, the activities that must be scheduled are not completely known in advance. Scheduling such projects includes deciding whether to perform particular activities. This decision also affects precedence constraints among the implemented activities. However, established model formulations and solution approaches for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) assume that the project structure is provided in advance. In this paper, the traditional RCPSP is extended using a highly general model-endogenous decision on this flexible project structure. This extension is illustrated using the example of the aircraft turnaround process at airports. We present a genetic algorithm to solve this type of scheduling problem and evaluate it in an extensive numerical study. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) within the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS). All rights reserved.