Dairy farmer-labor scheduling model with skills of workers and cows' ability to produce milk

Mauluddin, Yusuf (Institut Teknologi Garut)
Rosmawati, Rosmawati (Institut Teknologi Garut)
Silcilia, Putri (Institut Teknologi Garut)

Journal Industrial Servicess
Vol 12, No 1 (2026): April 2026

This study develops a Multi-Skill Workforce Scheduling (MSWS) models for dairy farms that accounts for worker skills and cow lactation capacity to maximize milk yield. Using Integer Linear Programming (ILP), two models were proposed: Model 1 with work shifts and Model 2 without shifts. While the shift-based model was limited by excessive computational time, the non-shift model effectively solved real-world scheduling problems. The results revealed a distinctive pattern: highly skilled workers were prioritized for broader scheduling opportunities, whereas less-skilled workers were assigned to cows with higher lactation levels. These findings highlight the potential of ILP-based MSWS to optimize labor allocation in dairy farming.