Single machine SLK/DIF due window assignment problem with general job-dependent positional effect and outsourcing operations

This paper considers the SLK/DIF due window assignment methods for single machine scheduling problems with general job-dependent positional effect, where the actual processing time of a job is subject to a job-dependent and positional effect. Production schedulers may decide to outsource/reject some jobs by paying the corresponding costs. Based on whether to accept the tardiness jobs, we consider two different objectives under slack and different due window assignment, respectively. The first objective function is to minimize the weighted sum of earliness, tardiness, due window starting time, due window size and outsourcing costs, while the second objective function is to minimize the cost function that includes earliness, due window starting time, due window size and outsourcing costs. We study the structural properties of two due window assignment methods and develop polynomial-time solution algorithms for the considered problems. A numerical example proves the advantage of outsourcing decision and the distinction of two different objectives.