ABSTRACT
Scheduling can be described as the allocation of available resources over time to meet the performance criteria defined in a domain. Typically, scheduling handles a set of jobs to be completed and each job consists of a set of operations. Each operation is performed by specific resources, such as machines and operators. In terms of scheduling theory, most scheduling problems are in the class of NPhard. Scheduling aims at a proper allocation of resources to tasks to minimize cost and maximize profit. Resources are workers, machines, and material handling; tasks are jobs and services; output is the time that each job starts and completes in each work station and machine. Scheduling plays a crucial role not only in the efficiency of operating the system, but also in customer satisfaction.
