An aggregate model of project-oriented production

A production system is studied in which thousands of activities are carried out concurrently subject to precedence constraints and limitations on resources such as skilled labor and equipment. Ideally, management proposes a set of milestone dates, obtains an analysis of which milestones cannot be met, and determines which resources are underused or overused. This process continues interactively until milestones consistent with management´s objectives are obtained. The authors derive, from elementary principles and basic assumptions (axioms), a continuous-time model of project execution of an aggregate level of detail. The model is approximated using a set of linear inequalities. This data structure can be manipulated easily and quickly by methods of linear programming to perform the required analysis