Cargo terminal shift setting and manpower supplying in short-term operations

In this research, we develop two short-term manpower supply models from air cargo terminal perspectives. The models are expected to be effective tools for air cargo terminals to plan their manpower supplies and shift schedules. We first incorporate two flexible management strategies and the related operating constraints into the development of a mathematical programming model. By suitably modifying the model, we then construct a strategic model, involving different combinations of manpower supply principles, which can help air cargo terminals manage more effectively their terminal manpower supplies. To evaluate the models in practice, we perform a case study using real operation data from a Taiwan air cargo terminal, with the assistance of C computer programs and a mathematical programming solver. The preliminary results are good, showing that the models could be useful for planning air cargo terminal manpower supply.