In article <[log in to unmask]>, Mark Vang
<[log in to unmask]> says:
>
>Hi Museum-L'ers,
>
>As long as I have been subscribed to Museum-L, there have been submissions
>regarding scheduling software for museums.  I have always followed them with

Mark,
I too have noticed the periodic requests for scheduling software, as well
as repeated attempts by staff in museums I have worked for to get staff,
groups, volunteers, etc. on some kind of scheduling software. I have seen
all kinds of software used, from spreadsheets to expensive custom packages.
The thing they all lacked was a good optimizing routine. Anything can be
used to keep track of schedules, once they are decided, but the real task
of a scheduler is to work out the best possible arrangements. 'Best' could
be most equitable hours for overtime and weekends, or cheapest combination
of casual and indeterminate staff, etc. The algorithms to do this are
apparently
not simple. In fact I seem to recall that this type of optimizing is
theoretically
inherently difficult (can't recall where--maybe in Byte). The packages to
optimize
trucking routes come to mind. I think engineers have even tried neural net
techniques on the problem. I'll bet the Japanese have tried fuzzy logic
on it. As a result, no single sheduling software seems to have come out on top.
Museums find that it takes a human brain to do the fancy juggling.
Some clever spreadsheet programmer may have found a way to use the optimize
functions to do this. Or maybe a Microsoft Scheduler?
Anyway, good luck. If you do tackle it, I hope you'll employ user-centred
design to come up with a natural and efficient interface.
fancy juggling