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CMA Intermediate · Operations Management and Strategic Management · Job Evaluation, Job Allocation - Assignment

A firm has 3 workers and 4 jobs, with a cost matrix given. To solve it with the Hungarian method, and given that one job will remain unassigned, the best approach is to:

Add a dummy worker row with zero costs so the matrix becomes 4x4, then apply the Hungarian method. The job assigned to the dummy worker is left undone. Zero costs ensure the dummy does not distort the real total cost of the optimal assignment.

  1. ADelete the costliest job and solve a 3x3 matrix
  2. BAdd a dummy worker row with zero costs, then solve the 4x4 matrixCorrect
  3. CAdd a dummy worker row with each cost equal to the largest cost
  4. DAssign two jobs to the cheapest worker and solve 3x3

Explanation

An unbalanced problem is balanced by adding a dummy row with zero costs. The job allotted to the dummy worker stays undone, and the real cost is unaffected. Deleting a job arbitrarily may miss the optimum, and using large costs distorts the result.

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