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In industries such as aircraft or train manufacturing, large-scale manufacturing companies often manage several complex projects. Each of these projects includes multiple tasks that share a set of limited resources. Typically, these tasks are also subject to time dependencies among them. One frequent goal in these scenarios is to minimize the makespan, or total time required to complete all the tasks within the entire project. Decisions revolve around scheduling these tasks, determining the sequence in which they are processed, and allocating shared resources to optimize efficiency while respecting the time dependencies among tasks. This problem is known in the scientific literature as the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP). Being an NP-hard problem with time dependencies and resource constraints, several optimization algorithms have already been proposed to tackle the RCPSP. In this paper, a novel discrete-event heuristic is introduced and later extended into an agile biased-randomized algorithm complemented with an adaptive capability to tune the parameters of the algorithm. The results underscore the effectiveness of the algorithm in finding competitive solutions for this problem within short computing times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) stand out as a paradigmatic application of Industry 4.0, requiring the seamless integration of new concepts and technologies to enhance productivity while reducing labor costs, energy consumption, and emissions. In this context, specific industrial use cases can present a significant technological and scientific challenge. This study was inspired by a real industrial application for which the existing AGV literature did not contain an already well-studied solution. The problem is related to the sequencing of assigned tasks, where the queue formation dynamics and the resource sharing define the scheduling. The combinatorial nature of the problem requires the use of advanced mathematical tools such as heuristics, simulations, or a combination of both. A heuristic procedure was developed that generates candidate task sequences, which are, in turn, evaluated in a discrete-event simulation model developed in Simul8. This combined approach allows high-quality solutions to be generated and realistically evaluated, even graphically, by stakeholders and decision makers. A number of computational experiments were developed to validate the proposed method, which opens up some future lines of research, especially when considering stochastic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic, as well as fuzzy uncertainty, can be found in most real‐world systems. Considering both types of uncertainties simultaneously makes optimization problems incredibly challenging. In this paper we propose a fuzzy simheuristic to solve the Time Capacitated Arc Routing Problem (TCARP) when the nature of the travel time can either be deterministic, stochastic or fuzzy. The main goal is to find a solution (vehicle routes) that minimizes the total time spent in servicing the required arcs. However, due to uncertainty, other characteristics of the solution are also considered. In particular, we illustrate how reliability concepts can enrich the probabilistic information given to decision‐makers. In order to solve the aforementioned optimization problem, we extend the concept of simheuristic framework so it can also include fuzzy elements. Hence, both stochastic and fuzzy uncertainty are simultaneously incorporated into the CARP. In order to test our approach, classical CARP instances have been adapted and extended so that customers' demands become either stochastic or fuzzy. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach when compared with more traditional ones. In particular, our fuzzy simheuristic is capable of generating new best‐known solutions for the stochastic versions of some instances belonging to the tegl, tcarp, val, and rural benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of simulation and reinforcement learning can be viewed as a flexible approach to aid managerial decision-making, particularly in the face of growing complexity in manufacturing and logistic systems. Efficient supply chains heavily rely on steamlined warehouse operations, and therefore, having a well-informed storage location assignment policy is crucial for their improvement. The traditional methods found in the literature for tackling the storage location assignment problem have certain drawbacks, including the omission of stochastic process variability or the neglect of interaction between various warehouse workers. In this context, we explore the possibilities of combining simulation with reinforcement learning to develop effective mechanisms that allow for the quick acquisition of information about a complex environment, the processing of that information, and then the decision-making about the best storage location assignment. In order to test these concepts, we will make use of the FlexSim commercial simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]