Short-term work scheduling with job assignment flexibility for a multi-fleet transport system

In recent years, planning and management of operations of transportation companies has become increasingly complex as tighter financial constraints affect the ability to respond to changing demands for travel. This paper investigates how a firm can reduce its total labor cost, enhance the flexibility of its operations and improve worker productivity and utilization by determining the right mix of jobs in work schedules. Using a method we have developed to generate low cost work schedules for bus drivers of an inter-city transport system in India, we study the changes in worker productivity and utilization when a mix of primary and secondary jobs is built in work schedules. We also investigate other factors that can strongly influence worker productivity and utilization such as the amount of overtime in work schedules, the level of job assignment flexibility, and staff size. Test results and discussions of managerial implications are presented.