15.1 Introduction

Scheduling is the process of determining the sequence and timing of jobs to be completed within a short-term planning horizon, typically within a day. This process is fundamental to both manufacturing and service operations, where it involves the allocation of limited resources, such as labour, time, or equipment, to specific tasks. When applied in this context, it is referred to as operations scheduling.

Effective scheduling aims to achieve three primary objectives: minimizing job completion time (makespan), reducing work-in-progress inventory, and maximizing the utilization of available resources. These goals are critical for enhancing operational efficiency and responsiveness.

To build a comprehensive understanding of operations scheduling, this chapter first explores its application in manufacturing environments, followed by its role in service operations. It also introduces the quantitative methods commonly used to support scheduling decisions in each context.