On the comparison of plans: Proposition of an instability measure for dynamic machine scheduling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generalized instability measure for dynamic machine scheduling plans, aiming to assess robustness and stability in response to changing conditions and decision maker requirements.

Contribution

It proposes a new quantitative measure for plan instability and discusses how to incorporate decision maker input for practical implementation.

Findings

The instability measure effectively quantifies plan differences.

The approach enhances understanding of schedule robustness.

It provides a foundation for adaptive scheduling systems.

Abstract

On the basis of an analysis of previous research, we present a generalized approach for measuring the difference of plans with an exemplary application to machine scheduling. Our work is motivated by the need for such measures, which are used in dynamic scheduling and planning situations. In this context, quantitative approaches are needed for the assessment of the robustness and stability of schedules. Obviously, any `robustness' or `stability' of plans has to be defined w. r. t. the particular situation and the requirements of the human decision maker. Besides the proposition of an instability measure, we therefore discuss possibilities of obtaining meaningful information from the decision maker for the implementation of the introduced approach.