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Who should be in charge of the following activities?

As an engineer, you are responsible for assigning the following work to your
subordinates. The rating below is base on their expertise. Score: 1 (lowest)
and 5 (highest).

How do you assign the work to each worker to optimize your operation?

Worker/Activity PCB Design Etching (1) Drilling (1) Soldering (2) Testing (2) Final Packing (1)
(1) assembly (1)
Worker 1 4 3 4 3 5 2 2
Worker 2 3 4 4 4 3 2 4
Worker 3 2 3 3 4 2 3 4
Worker 4 2 2 3 4 4 3 4
Worker 5 3 4 3 5 2 2 4
Worker 6 3 2 3 1 3 2 2
Worker 7 3 2 3 3 3 2 2
Worker 8 2 2 3 3 5 3 3
Worker 9 4 3 3 2 3 3 4

Assignment Model

When you are entrusted with an assignment, you do your best!!!

… Tu Youyou

Demy F. Gabriel DEngg Info

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Assignment Model
Overview
Definition:

Assignment model consists of assigning a specific (person or worker) to a

specific (task or job) assuming that there are the number of persons equal to
the number of tasks available.

The optimal result is to assignment one person to one job, contrast to the
transportation models the source is connected to one or more of destination.

Assignment model is a special application of Linear Programming Problem

(LPP), in which the main objective is to assign the work or task to a group of
individuals such that;

i) There is only one assignment.

ii) All the assignments should be done in such a way that the overall cost is
minimized (or profit is maximized, incase of maximization).

Assignment Model
Overview
Solution Methods

The assignment problem can be solved by the following four methods :

1. Enumeration method
2. Simplex method
3. Transportation method
4. Hungarian method

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Assignment Model
Overview
Enumeration method:

In this method, a list of all possible assignments among the given

resources and activities is prepared.
Then an assignment involving the minimum cost, time or distance or maximum
profits is selected. If two or more assignments have the same minimum cost,
time or distance, the problem has multiple optimal solutions. This method can
be used only if the number of assignments is less. It becomes unsuitable for
manual calculations if number of assignments is large.
Use trial and error method.

Assignment Model
Overview
Simplex method (LP Method):

The simplex method focuses on solving LP of any enormity involving two

or more decision variables. The simplex algorithm is an iterative procedure
for finding the optimal solution to a linear programming problem. The
objective function controls the development and evaluation of each
feasible solution to the problem. If a feasible solution exists, it is located at
a corner point of the feasible region determined by the constraints of the
system.

The simplex method simply selects the optimal solution amongst the set of
feasible solutions of the problem.

The efficiency of this algorithm is because it considers only those feasible

solutions which are provided by the corner points, and that too not all of
them. You can consider obtaining an optimal solution based on a minimum
number of feasible solutions.

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Assignment Model
Overview
Transportation method

Transportation model is an important class of linear programs. For a given

supply at each source and a given demand at each destination, the model
studies the minimisation of the cost of transporting a commodity from a
number of sources to several destinations.

As assignment is a special case of transportation problem it can also be

solved using transportation model.

But the degeneracy problem of solution makes the transportation method

computationally inefficient for solving the assignment problem.

Assignment Model
Overview
Hungarian method

There are various ways to solve assignment problems. Certainly it can be

formulated as a linear program, and the simplex method can be used to
solve it. In addition, since it can be formulated as a network problem, the
network simplex method may solve it quickly.

However, sometimes the simplex method is inefficient for assignment

problems (particularly problems with a high degree of degeneracy). The
Hungarian Algorithm developed by Kuhn has been used with a good deal
of success on these problems.

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Assignment Model
Hungarian Method
Hungarian Method:

The Hungarian method is a combinatorial optimization algorithm which

solves the assignment problem in polynomial time and which anticipated later
primal-dual methods.

It was developed and published by Harold Kuhn in 1955, who gave the name
"Hungarian method" because the algorithm was largely based on the earlier
works of two Hungarian mathematicians: Dénes Kőnig and Jenő Egerváry.

Assignment Model
Hungarian Method
Steps of Hungarian Method:
Step 1. For the original cost matrix, identify each row’s minimum, and subtract
it from all the entries of the row.

Step 2. For the matrix resulting from step one, identify each column’s
minimum, and subtract it from all the entries of the column.

Step 3. Identify the optimal assignment as the one associated with the zero
elements of the matrix obtained in step 2.

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Example No. 1

An engineering manager is to assign the following projects to his subordinates.

The rating is given by his subordinates. This is their estimates on how many
days that they can accomplish each projects.

How do the manager assign the project to each of his subordinates to optimize
their operation?

Project
Engrs A B C
Juan 15 10 9
Pedro 9 15 10
Mar 10 12 8

Table 1

Assignment Model
Examples
The assignment problem will be solved by the Hungarian Method.
Solution: Project
Table 1
Engrs A B C
Juan 15 10 9
Pedro 9 15 10
Mar 10 12 8

Let pi and qj be row i and column j minimum costs as defined in steps 1 and 2,
respectively. The row minimums of step 1 are computed from the original cost matrix
as shown below.
Table 2

Project
Engrs A B C Row Minimum
Juan 15 10 9 p1 = 9
Pedro 9 15 10 p2 = 9
Mar 10 12 8 p3 = 8

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Assignment Model
Examples
Table 2
Project
Row Minimum
Engrs A B C
p1 = 9
Juan 15 10 9
p2 = 9
Pedro 9 15 10
p3 = 8
Mar 10 12 8
Next, we subtract the row minimum from each respective row to obtain the reduced
matrix in table below.
Table 3
Project
Engrs A B C
Juan 6 1 0
Pedro 0 6 1
Mar 2 4 0

Assignment Model
Examples
Get the column minimum

Table 3 Project
Engrs A B C
Juan 6 1 0
Pedro 0 6 1
Mar 2 4 0

Column Min. q1 = 0 q2 = 1 q3 = 0

Subtract these values from the respective column

Table 4
Project
Assign each engineer with one project
Engrs A B C
by inspection.
Juan 6 0 0
Pedro 0 6 1 The shaded cell with zero entries
provide the optimum solution.
Mar 2 4 0

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Assignment Model
Examples
Table 4 Table 1
Project Project
Engrs A B C Engrs A B C
Juan 6 0 0 Juan 15 10 9
Pedro 0 6 1 Pedro 9 15 10
Mar 2 4 0 Mar 10 12 8
Summary:

This means that:

 Juan gets project B.
 Pedro gets Project A.
 Mar gets Project C

The total days of the 3 projects = 27 (10 + 9 + 8).

This amount also will always equal to (p1 + p2 + p3) + (q1 + q2 + q3)

Total Days = 9 + 9 + 8 + 0 + 1 + 0 = 27

Assignment Model
Examples
Example 2: Extension of Problem No. 1
Table 1
A B C D
Juan 1 4 6 3
Pedro 9 7 10 9
Mar 4 5 11 7
Ana 8 7 8 5

Table 1
A B C D Row Minimum
Juan 1 4 6 3 p1 = 1
Pedro 9 7 10 9 p2 = 7
Mar 4 5 11 7 p3 = 4
Ana 8 7 8 5 p4 = 5

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Assignment Model
Examples
Table 1

A B C D Row Minimum
Juan 1 4 6 3 p1 = 1
Pedro 9 7 10 9 p2 = 7
Mar 4 5 11 7 p3 = 4
Ana 8 7 8 5 p4 = 5

Table 2 (cell – row minimum)

A B C D
Juan 0 3 5 2
Pedro 2 0 3 2
Mar 0 1 7 3
Ana 3 2 3 0

Assignment Model
Examples
Table 2

A B C D Row Minimum
Juan 0 3 5 2 p1 = 1
Pedro 2 0 3 2 p2 = 7
Mar 0 1 7 3 p3 = 4
Ana 3 2 3 0 p4 = 5
Column Minimum q1 = 0 q2 = 0 q3 = 3 q4 = 0

Table 3 (cell – column minimum)

A B C D Assign each with one project by
inspection.
Juan 0 3 2 2
Pedro 2 0 0 2 The location of the zero entries
Mar 0 1 4 3 do not allow assigning one
project to each engineer.
Ana 3 2 0 0

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Draw the minimum number of horizontal and vertical

lines in the last reduced matrix that will cover all the
zero entries. The total of lines should be lower than the
number of rows or column (total lines < 4)

Table 5 A B C D
Juan 0 3 2 2
Pedro 2 0 0 2
Mar 0 1 4 3
Ana 3 2 0 0
The smallest uncovered element (shown in the color red) equal 1. This element is
subtracted from all the uncovered element and added to the intersection element to
produce the matrix below.

Table 6 A B C D
Juan 0 2 1 1
Pedro 3 0 0 2
Mar 0 0 3 2
Ana 4 2 0 0

Table 6

A B C D By inspection, a perfect assignment can

Juan 0 2 1 1 now be seen from the table.
Pedro 3 0 0 2
Mar 0 0 3 2
Ana 4 2 0 0

Table 7 Table 1

A B C D A B C D
Juan 0 2 1 1 Juan 1 4 6 3
Pedro 3 0 0 2 Pedro 9 7 10 9
Mar 0 0 3 2 Mar 4 5 11 7
Ana 4 2 0 0 Ana 8 7 8 5

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Assignment Model
Examples
Table 7 Table 1

A B C D A B C D
Juan 0 2 1 1 Juan 1 4 6 3
Pedro 3 0 0 2 Pedro 9 7 10 9
Mar 0 0 3 2 Mar 4 5 11 7
Ana 4 2 0 0 Ana 8 7 8 5

The optimum solution calls for assigning the following:

Juan to project A
Pedro to project C
Mar to project B
Ana to project D

With a minimum total duration of 1 + 10 + 5 + 5 = 21 days

Assignment Model
Examples
Example No. 3:
The Funny Toys Company has four men (A, B, C, D) available for work on four
separate jobs (1, 2, 3, 4). Only one man can work on any one job. The cost of
assigning each man to each job is given in the following table. The objective is
to assign men to jobs in such a way that the total cost of assignment is
minimum.

1 2 3 4
A 20 25 22 28
B 15 18 23 17
C 19 17 21 24
D 25 23 24 24

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