Hello Schedulers. Let me introduce myself.
My Name is John Willoughby. I have studied both the theory and application of scheduling techniques for 25 years. After receiving a PhD in engineering with a research concentration in optimization, I managed a group of scientists with backgrounds in Human Factors, Computer Science, Artificial intelligence and Mathematics. Our mission was to develop solutions to difficult problems that required both human cognition and computer algorithms to solve. Scheduling is one of those problems.
Our group developed methods resulting in a tool kit for planning, scheduling, and resource management. That tool kit led to successful applications for NASA mission planning, manufacturing, health care, the hospitality industry, field services and other application domains.
The goal of this BLOG is to create a dialogue about the insights obtained from my past work and to relate those insights in thought-provoking and pragmatic terms. I will discuss the practical, time-saving, and problem-solving aspects of this experience. There will be little theory presented even though my views are based on substantial multi-disciplinary research. I hope the material presented is helpful to those working in domains where scheduling is done every day.
Currently, I am a senior staff member and co-founder of Unique Scheduling Solutions, LLC