A Constraint Programming Model for Personnel Scheduling Problem: Application in A Factory Operating in Healthcare Sector

Disruptions in the healthcare sector are a significant concern for companies as they directly affect human health. One of the key factors to ensure smooth operations and prevent disruptions is the personnel. In order to prevent personnel from making mistakes, the imbalances and injustices in the system should be addressed. This study addresses the problem of assigning shifts as evenly as possible to personnel working in the production department of a factory operating in the healthcare sector in Ankara. Constraint programming was employed to meet the goals and fulfill the company and personnel requirements with minimal deviation. A constraint programming model was established under specific constraints for a factory operating with two shifts and 30 personnel, and it was solved using the ILOG Cplex program. The proposed constraint programming model achieved the goal values with lower than expected values. The 31-day schedule obtained resulted in a more balanced workload distribution, leading to increased personnel satisfaction. This study is the first in the literature to address the personnel scheduling problem in the healthcare sector using the constraint programming method.