IBM ILOG Scheduler User's Manual > Getting Started with Scheduler > Using the Building Blocks > Satisfying Temporal Constraints > Describe the Problem--Example 1

Describe the Problem--Example 1

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The following example illustrates the use of Scheduler on the problem of planning the construction of a house. For each activity in the project, the following table and Figure 3.1 show the duration of the activity in days along with the activities that must precede it.

Table 3.1 House Construction Activities 
Activity  
Duration  
Preceding Activities 
masonry 
7 

 
carpentry 
3 
masonry 
plumbing 
8 
masonry 
ceiling 
3 
masonry 
roofing 
1 
carpentry 
painting 
2 
ceiling 
windows 
1 
roofing 
facade 
2 
roofing, plumbing 
garden 
1 
roofing, plumbing 
moving 
1 
windows, facade, garden, painting 

Solving the problem consists of determining the least possible makespan for the project, that is, the least possible amount of time that elapses between the beginning of the first activity (masonry) and the end of the last activity (moving).

Note
In Scheduler, the unit of time represented by a variable is not defined. As a result, the duration of the masonry activity in this problem could be 7 hours or 7 weeks or 7 months. However, all time variables in a problem must represent the same unit of time.

useBuildBlockst.gif

Figure 3.1 House Construction Activities
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