The Project Scheduling Problem with Non-Deterministic Activities Duration: A Literature Review

• Published in: Journal of industrial engineering and management Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 116 - 134
• Main Authors: Ortiz Pimiento, Nestor Raul, Diaz-Serna, F. Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Barcelona Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya 01-01-2018; OmniaScience; Vicenc Fernandez
• Subjects: Critical path; Genetic algorithms; Literature reviews; Mathematical models; Order parameters; Parameter uncertainty; Production scheduling; Project management; project scheduling; project scheduling, random duration, uncertain duration, stochastic duration, task duration; random duration; Researchers; Resource scheduling; Scheduling; stochastic duration; task duration; uncertain duration
• ISSN: 2013-8423; 2013-0953; 2013-0953
• DOI: 10.3926/jiem.2492

Purpose: The goal of this article is to provide an extensive literature review of the models and solution procedures proposed by many researchers interested on the Project Scheduling Problem with nondeterministic activities duration. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents an exhaustive literature review, identifying the existing models where the activities duration were taken as uncertain or random parameters. In order to get published articles since 1996, was employed the Scopus database. The articles were selected on the basis of reviews of abstracts, methodologies, and conclusions. The results were classified according to following characteristics: year of publication, mathematical representation of the activities duration, solution techniques applied, and type of problem solved. Findings: Genetic Algorithms (GA) was pointed out as the main solution technique employed by researchers, and the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) as the most studied type of problem. On the other hand, the application of new solution techniques, and the possibility of incorporating traditional methods into new PSP variants was presented as research trends. Originality/value: This literature review contents not only a descriptive analysis of the published articles but also a statistical information section in order to examine the state of the research activity carried out in relation to the Project Scheduling Problem with non-deterministic activities duration.