Multi-skilling, an organisational strategy aimed at increasing the skill repertoire of the worker with the intent of facilitating the role and task flexibility among organisational members, is investigated.A literature review on the subject identified a number of factors contributing towards the development of a multi-skilled workforce. These ranged from the abolition of demarcation restrictions between jobs and skill-based pay systems, to the modification of the supervisory role. However, the literature fails to consider the role of technology in such developments. It was suggested that this was central to the development of skills.A framework was proposed that hypothesized a relationship between technological uncertainty the extent to which task activities are varied and difficult and skill requirements. It was further hypothesized that technology influences the structuring of activities within organisational subsystems. It was suggested that these would act either to facilitate or inhibit multi-skilling development.The structuring of activities within a unit consist of specialisation (the number of different tasks assigned to the unit); standardisation (the degree to which policies, rules, and procedures are formalised and used to guide action); interchangeability (the extent to which A can perform Bs job at short notice, and vice versa); locus of authority (the source of decision-making authority within the unit, for example, the supervisor rather than the worker); and skill heterogeneity (the variability in skill composition among unit members).A preliminary evaluation of the framework was carried out in an organisation engaged in the processing of mineral ore, with a largely semi-skilled workforce (N=165), where a multi-skilling programme was in progress.Evidence was presented that suggested a relationship between the level of technological uncertainty and ++ / skill development. However, the results failed to confirm the pervasive influence of technology with regard to the structuring of activities within subsystems. Instead, technological uncertainty was significantly related to the design of jobs, and specifically to the degree of the standardisation of jobs of organisational members. Also, contrary to the anticipated direction, there was an association between perceived standardisation of activities within subsystems and job satisfaction.

Dans cette Thèse, nous avons introduit plusieurs procédures pour résoudre le problème d’ordonnancement du projet multi-compétences (MSPSP). L’objectif est de trouver un ordonnancement qui minimise le temps de terminaison (makespan) d’un projet, composé d’un ensemble d’activités. Les relations de précédences et les contraintes de ressource seront considérées. Dans ce problème, les ressources sont des membres du personnel qui maîtrisent plusieurs compétences. Ainsi, un certain nombre de travailleurs doit être affecté pour utiliser chaque compétence requise par une activité. Par ailleurs, nous accorderons une importance particulière aux méthodes exactes pour résoudre le MSPSP, puisqu’il y a encore un certain nombre d’instances pour lesquelles l’optimalité doit encore être prouvée. Néanmoins,pour traiter des instances plus importantes, nous implémentons une approche heuristique. / In this Phd Thesis we introduce several procedures to solve the Multi-Skill Project Scheduling Problem (MSPSP). The aim is to find a schedule that minimizes the completion time (makespan) of a project, composed of a set of activities. Precedence relations and resource constraints are considered. In this problem, resources are staff members that master several skills. Thus, a given number of workers must be assigned to perform each skill required by an activity. Furthermore, we give a particula rimportance to exact methods for solving the Multi-Skill Project Scheduling Problem (MSPSP), since there are still several instances for which optimality is still to be proven. Nevertheless, with the purpose of solving big sized instances we also developed and implemented a heuristic approach.

This master thesis in optimization and systems theory is a development of two different optimization models formulated to schedule multi-skilled agents for contact centers depending on the forecasted demand, assigned by Teleopti. Four mixed integer linear programming models are created with the optimization programming language GAMS and solved by the internet based solver NEOS. Two of the models are formulated to perform an optimal scheduling that matches a forecasted demand per skill and day and the remaining two models are formulated to perform an optimal scheduling that matches a forecasted demand per skill, day and half hour. The first two models are referred to as the Basic Models and the second two are referred to as the Complex Models. The Basic Models includes seven constraints and the Complex Model includes nine constraints, describing regulations at the contact center. The main goal of the project is to find an optimal solution that results in an as even distribution of under or over scheduling. The scheduling optimization covers a period of 28 days, starting on a Monday which results in four weeks. The optimization models are based on two sets of data, there are 104 assigned agents that possesses one, two or three of the skills Channel, Direct and Product. All agents are bound to work according to a contract specified through the constraints. In the Basic Model the forecasted demand is given in amount of hours per day and skill, the demand is non-cyclical. In the Complex model the forecasted demand is given in amount of half hours per day, skill and half hour. Each day is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. resulting in 32 available half hours. All optimization models are developed to correctly mathematically formulate the constraints specified by Teleopti. Any non-linear equation that arises are linearized to maintain linearity, this is favourable in the sense of computational time solving the models. The objective functions in this thesis are formulated to describe the main goal of even distribution as correctly as possible. The result for the Basic Model shows that an optimal solution is achieved after 34 seconds. This model contains 169,080 variables and 39,913 equations. In the Complex Models integer solutions are achieved, but no optimal solution is found in 8 hours of computational time. The larger Complex Model contains 9,385,984 variables and 1,052,253 equations and the smaller Complex Model contains 5,596,952 variables and 210,685 equations. Teleopti’s scheduler produces an integer solution matching the Complex Model in 4 minutes. / Detta examensarbete i optimering och systemteori är framtagningen av två olika optimeringsmodeller formulerade för att schemalägga multikompetenta agenter för kontaktcenters beroende av den förväntade efterfrågan, tilldelad av Teleopti. Fyra blandade heltals linjära programmeringsmodeller skapas med optimeringsprogrammeringsspråket GAMS och löses av den internetbaserade lösaren NEOS. Två av modellerna är formulerade för att utföra en optimal schemaläggning som matchar en prognostiserad efterfrågan per skicklighet och dag och de återstående två modellerna är formulerade för att utföra en optimal schemaläggning som matchar en prognostiserad efterfrågan per färdighet, dag och en halvtimme. De två första modellerna i detta arbete benämns de Grundläggande Modellerna och de resterande två benämns de Komplexa Modellerna. Grundmodellerna inkluderar sju bivillkor och de Komplexa modellerna innehåller nio bivillkor, vilka beskriver arbetsvillkoren på kontaktcentret. Projektets huvudmål är att hitta en optimal lösning som resulterar i en jämn fördelning av under- eller överschemaläggning. Den schemalagda optimeringen täcker en period av 28 dagar, vilken börjar på en måndag vilket resulterar i fyra veckor. Optimeringsmodellerna är baserade på två uppsättningar data, det finns 104 tillgängliga agenter vilka har en, två eller tre av kompetenserna Channel, Direct och Product. Alla agenter är bundna att arbeta enligt det kontrakt som specificeras genom bivillkoren. I grundmodellen anges den prognostiserade efterfrågan i timmar per dygn och kompetens, efterfrågan är icke-cyklisk. I den komplexa modellen anges den beräknade efterfrågan i mängd halvtimmar per dag, kompetens och halvtimme. Varje dag är schemalagd från kl. 07.00 till 23.00 vilket resulterar i 32 tillgängliga halvtimmar. Alla optimeringsmodeller är utvecklade för att matematiskt beskriva de begränsningar som Teleopti specificerar. Alla icke-linjära ekvationer som uppstår linjäriseras för att upprätthålla linjäritet, detta är gynnsamt i avseendet mängd tid beräkningen av modellerna tar. Målfunktionerna i detta arbete är formulerade för att beskriva huvudmålet för jämn distribution så korrekt som möjligt. Resultatet för grundmodellen visar att en optimal lösning uppnås efter 34 sekunder. Denna modell innehåller 169,080 variabler och 39,913 ekvationer. I de komplexa modellerna uppnås heltalslösningar, men ingen optimal lösning hittas på 8 timmars beräkningstid. Den större komplexa modellen innehåller 9,385,984 variabler och 1,052,253 ekvationer och den mindre komplexa modellen innehåller 5,596,952 variabler och 210,665 ekvationer. Teleoptis schemaläggare producerar en heltalslösning som matchar den komplexa modellen på 4 minuter.