The dispatching rule is an effective tool for solving the dynamic job shop scheduling problem in practical productions. However, no single rule can outperform others under various scheduling circumstances, as the effectiveness of the dispatching rule depends on the shop configurations, the operating conditions and the performance measures. To study the dynamic job shop scheduling problem in practical productions, the methods for the development and the design of dispatching rules are reviewed in this paper. The development, the classification and the characteristics of dispatching rules are discussed, and the research hotspots of dispatching rules and the design methods are summarized. The design methods of dispatching rules include the popular manually performed method and the effective artificial intelligence method. In addition, the research results and the conclusions of the evolutionary algorithm, the genetic programming and the data mining methods for the design of dispatching rules are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are analyzed and compared. Finally the direction of future researches is pointed out.

job shop scheduling problem  /  dispatching rules  /  evolutionary algorithm  /  genetic programming  /  data mining