LOG904-162 Applications of Scheduling and Timetabling (Autumn 2026)

Scheduling and timetabling problems and models find applications in many areas. The course starts with an overview of timetabling and scheduling problems in different areas, involving tasks and resources such as vehicles (trains, buses, ships), examinations, university courses, personnel (nurses, teachers), games and sports facilities, showing the richness of this field of application and of the techniques presented. We focus on problems and applications in port and maritime logistics; sports scheduling; educational timetabling; scheduling in the oil and forestry industry; project scheduling; nurse rostering and home care scheduling; vehicle scheduling; and scheduling problems in a large logistics company. The course presents fundamental issues, problem descriptions and formulations, solution methods, applications, and case studies in the above areas.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

An overview of the field of scheduling and timetabling and their applications in logistics, including problem formulation and the main exact and approximate solution methods used in practice. Main aspects involved in scheduling applications, including logistic issues and constraints.

Skills

Acquaintance with the main tools applied in the solution of real-life scheduling and timetabling problems, communication skills involving the motivation and the need to solve such problems.

General competence

develop the competence to identify a problem in the area and to motivate a team towards its solution, understand and propose good approaches to scheduling and timetabling problems in different areas, critical thinking about systems and solution approaches.

Form of assessment: home assessment with presentation -short mp4 interactive vide
Proportion: 50 %
Duration: 5 to 8 minutes (video duration), to be delivered on Day 4 and presented online on Day 5.
Grouping: groups of two students
Grading scale: Letter (A - F)
Support material: course materials, research material, interviews with lecturer

Form of assessment: oral presentation of a review of a selected application article
Proportion: 50 %
Duration: oral presentation of approximately 15 minutes and source file of the presentation. The oral presentation is open to questions from the audience (lecturer and students at the end).
Grouping: groups of two students
Grading scale: Letter (A - F)
Support material: course materials, research material, interviews with the lecturer, references provided by the lecturer