Modelling and Formulation of Holonic Workforce Allocation to Reduce the Impact of Absenteeism and Turnover

Abstract

Holonic Manufacturing System (HMS) adopts Arthur Koestler's generalisation on living organisms and social organisations into a novel paradigm suitable for manufacturing industry. While the HMS paradigm has been researched on myriad technical subjects, workforce allocation is rarely attempted. In this research paper, an advisory model called Holonic Workforce Allocation Model (HWM) was developed, with the aim to reduce the impact of absenteeism and turnover in job shop environments. This model is associated with a weighted randomised formulation that can provide cross-training opportunities in parallel with specialisation requirements. For verification purpose, HWM was tested in several computer-simulated scenarios and was compared with some models commonly used in manufacturing. The experimental results showed that HWM is more effective than the others in minimising task overdue rate, improving average skill level, as well as providing moderate workload balance and cross-training chances.