Comparison of scheduling rules in a flow shop with multiple processors: A simulation

This simulation study investigated the effect on mean flow time and makespa n of localized scheduling rules with dynamically established priorities in a flow shop with multiple processors. The study examined the effects of pro blem characteristics (number of jobs, number of machine stages and number o f parallel processors at each stage) and the performance of priority rules using regression analysis. Although structural characteristics explained mo st of the variation in performance, priority rules also had an effect. The "shortest processing time first" rule was consistently superior; its superi ority was greater for mean flow time than for makespan.