An efficient network‐based formulation for sequence dependent setup scheduling on parallel identical machines

This paper compares the efficacy of a newly developed network‐based mixed‐integer programming (MIP) formulation with three existing formulations for the sequence dependent setup scheduling problem with earliness/tardiness penalties. This research shows that the new model is more efficient in terms of computation time for larger multi‐machine problems than the existing formulations of these problems. The mixed‐integer nature of the formulation allows companies to solve this class of problems with any one of many commonly available integer programming software packages. The presented MIP formulation provides a unique and useful method of conceptualizing and modeling a practical, yet difficult, problem within industry.