GOAL PROGRAMMING APPROACH FOR SERVICE STAFF SCHEDULING PROBLEM IN A RESTAURANT

Personnel scheduling plays a crucial role in the service industry, particularly in labor-intensive businesses like restaurants. The effective allocation of shifts for employees is essential to ensure uninterrupted service and optimize profitability. Poor scheduling can negatively impact both the business and its employees, resulting in decreased profitability and increased physical and mental strain. Continuity of service is essential in restaurant businesses. Shift plans ensure that the service continues uninterrupted by assigning personnel to various shifts. In order to provide the best service in restaurants, the daily shifts of the personnel working in shifts should be planned systematically. In this study, it is aimed to create the shift schedules of the service personnel in the Eskişehir branch of one of the leading restaurants in Turkey. The restaurant employs two types of service personnel: bussers and waiters. The number of required personnel varies across different days and shift periods. In this context, personnel shift schedules were created by using the goal programming method in the study, taking into account the business objectives, personnel needs and shift characteristics. The results of this study can contribute to the literature on staff scheduling in restaurants and can help restaurant businesses create more effective schedules.