Whale optimization algorithm for production scheduling problems in small bakery enterprises

The no-wait flexible flowshop scheduling problem (NWFFSP) is a significant challenge in industries such as bakeries, where strict no-wait constraints and resource limitations, like oven availability, complicate scheduling. This research aims to evaluate the performance of the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) in solving NWFFSP as a multi-objective problem, focusing on minimizing makespan and total oven idle time (ToIT). The study employs the Pareto principle to address trade-offs between these conflicting objectives. Experimental results demonstrate that WOA effectively balances both objectives, maintaining comparable efficiency to mono-objective optimization. The findings confirm WOA's potential as a robust tool for solving complex multi-objective scheduling problems in practical settings.