A zero-one model for project portfolio selection and scheduling

A zero-one integer linear programming model is proposed for selecting and scheduling an optimal project portfolio, based on the organisation's objectives and constraints such as resource limitations and interdependence among projects. The model handles some of the issues that frequently arise in real world applications but are not addressed by previously suggested models, such as situations in which the amount of available and consumed resources varies in different periods. It also allows for interactive adjustment following the optimisation process, to provide decision makers a method for controlling portfolio selection, based on criteria that may be difficult to elicit directly. It is critical for such a system to provide fast evaluation of alternatives the decision makers may want to examine, and this requirement is addressed. The proposed model not only suggests projects that should be incorporated in the optimal portfolio, but it also determines the starting period for each project. Scheduling considerations can have a major impact on the combination of projects that can be incorporated in the portfolio, and may allow the addition of certain projects to the portfolio that could not have been selected otherwise. An example problem is described and solved with the proposed model, and some areas for future research are discussed.