Shift Rostering Optimisation: Beyond Excel
Shift rostering is one of those problems where the gap between best practice and reality is wider than anyone admits. The result is daily fire-fighting, statutory breaches and angry supervisors.
The Constraints
- Skill mix per line — not every worker can run every machine.
- Statutory caps — weekly hours, mandatory weekly off, OT thresholds.
- Worker preferences (within reason).
- Cost mix (own / contract / overtime).
- Absenteeism / leave forecast.
The Optimisation Layer
A constraint solver (OR-Tools, OptaPlanner) takes the constraints and the demand forecast and produces a 14-day roster proposal. The supervisor edits 5 — 10% of the proposal and signs off. The system learns from the edits and improves the next cycle.
The Cost Lift
Real-world results from our deployments: 6 — 12% reduction in overtime spend, 30 — 50% reduction in last-minute roster changes, and an order-of-magnitude reduction in statutory breach risk.
Frequently asked
Can rostering be fully automated?
Not fully — the system proposes, the supervisor approves. But 90% of the rostering decisions can be automated with the supervisor handling only exceptions.
Amey Kadle
Founder & CEO, Ajinkya Technologies. 20+ years of building MES, ERP and AI systems for India’s most demanding manufacturing plants.