Optimizing human resource assignment in engineering design companies.

Abstract

Human capital is a major asset for engineering companies. On-time completion of project tasks and cost effectiveness are contingent on proper allocation of human resources. In practice, most engineering managers assign resources according to availability without considering the level of employee’s expertise when taking the decision. This may result in lower quality of design production or difficulty in meeting deadlines. To better attain project requirements, the assignment practice could be improved by including resource characteristics and critical project information. This thesis presents a reliable resource assignment mathematical model that considers engineers’ years of experience, their level of familiarity with different software programs used by the company, and other task-related attributes. The output of the model consists of assignment variables through pairing a group of human resources to a group of tasks with the objective of minimizing project duration and cost while maximizing resource utilization. Extensions to the model can allow engineering managers to monitor and control the progress of the project or the lack thereof.