Skip to content

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

A foreman has 3 available workers but 4 jobs, each worker doing at most one job and each job needing one worker. What is the correct step before applying the Hungarian method?

Add a dummy worker as an extra row with zero costs to make the matrix square. The job the Hungarian method allocates to this dummy is the one that stays undone. A dummy column applies when there are more workers than jobs.

  1. AAdd a dummy worker (row) with zero costs, so the job assigned to it remains undoneCorrect
  2. BAdd a dummy job (column) with zero costs
  3. CDrop the job with the highest average cost without further analysis
  4. DAdd a dummy worker with a very large cost M in every cell

Explanation

The matrix must be square. With fewer workers than jobs, a dummy row is added with zero cost in all cells. The job allocated to the dummy worker is the one left unassigned. A dummy column would suit the opposite case, and M-costs for the dummy would distort the optimum.

Did you get it right without looking?

One question tells you little. A timed set on Job Evaluation, Job Allocation - Assignment shows your real accuracy, how long you take and where you lose marks.

Practise Job Evaluation, Job Allocation - AssignmentFree diagnostic mock

More Job Evaluation, Job Allocation - Assignment questions