The prestigious Journal of Scheduling has accepted the study written by our Assistant Professor in Management Science Dr Jan Schoenfelder, along with Jakob Heins (left in the picture) and Jens O. Brunner. It is titled “Task Assignments with Rotations and Flexible Shift Starts to Improve Demand Coverage and Staff Satisfaction in Healthcare”.
This study addresses staffing flexibility in environments with variable demand, focusing on shift design with task rotations for multi-skilled workers. Using a mathematical programming model and a column generation approach, the research optimizes shift start times and task assignments, demonstrating superior results over traditional mixed-integer formulations. Analysis of a university hospital’s radiation oncology department highlights how task rotations enhance workload balancing, with success dependent on demand variability and workforce qualification mix.
