An exact algorithm for the problem of scheduling of projects with cost of availability of resources and multiple modes

In this paper we propose an exact algorithm to generate tradeoff curves between cost and time of a project, based on the multi-mode resource availability cost problem. Two versions of the algorithm are proposed, the first is an adaptation of an exact algorithm proposed in the literature, where there is only a single mode to execute the activities, and the second incorporates strategies in order to improve the performance of the solution method, resulting in a significant decrease in the computational time. It is worth noting that the proposed algorithm is computationally viable to solve only problems of moderate size. Both versions of the algorithm were tested solving different instances generated by the software Progen. Tradeoff curves are presented and analyzed, illustrating how the method can be used in situations where the decision maker is confronted with the difficult task of balancing costs and deadlines of a project.