A Visual Interactive Decision Support System For Workforce (Nurse) Scheduling

Abstract

This paper describes a microcoraputer based visual interactive decision support system for workforce scheduling. A prototype system was first constructed and then tested on a nurse scheduling problem. Following this test, significant changes were made to arrive at a final system that met the requirements of the manager of nursing services.

Résumé

Ce papier décrit un système de support visuel, à base de micro-ordinateur, élaboré pour les décisions réciproques et destiné à établir des programmes de main d’oeuvre. Tout d’abord, on a construit un système prototype qu’on a mis à l’essai, par la suite, pour résoudre un probleme d’horaires d’infirmières. A la suite de cet essai, on a fait des changements significatifs pour arriver à un système définitif qui a satisfait aux exigences du directeur du service infirmier.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Bell

PETER C, BELL is Associate Professor in the Management Science and Information Systems area group at the School of Business Administration, University of Westem Ontario. He is a graduate of Oxford University and the University of Chicago, and his publications have appeared in INFOR, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Interfaces, Operations Research, and other international journals. He is co-author of the books Statistics for Business with MINITAB and Cases in Business Statistics published by the Scientific Press. He was Vice-President of the Canadian Operational Research Society for 1984-5 and President 1985-6.

Genevieve Hay

GENEVIEVE HAY received her B SC in Physics and Biochemistry from Trinity College, University of Toronto, in 1984 and is currently a candidate for the MBA at the University of Western Ontario. She is Vice-President of FTL systems Inc., a firm involved in innovative computer applications. She is a member of CMCcs.

Y. Liang

YiNG LIANG was a visiting scholar at the School of Business Administration, University of Western Ontario for the 1984-5 academic year. She completed an engineering degree at Qinghua University in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China in 1959. She then taught at Qinghua in the Automatic Control Department until 1966, when she was transferred to the Computer Engineering Department. In 1982 she was appointed to the directorship of the Economic Information Laboratory in the newly designated College of Economics and Management (formerly the Department of Engineering Management). Ying Liang was sponsored in Canada by the CIDA Canada/China Management Education Project.