An EM-TS Hybrid Optimization for Robust Yogurt Production Scheduling with Local Resources: A Case Study from Giplait Tizi in Algeria

Abstract

Given the industrial complexity of production scheduling in the food industry, the problem of optimizing resources under both industrial and biological constraints is a significant challenge. We consider a yogurt production scheduling problem at the Giplait Tizi plant, which is modeled as a novel Flexible Specific System with Chained Goals (FSSChG). In this paper, we attempt to optimize the production schedule by an adequate hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm combining an Electromagnetism-like Mechanism (EM) and Tabu Search (TS). The hybrid EM-TS method gave us efficient and robust results, effectively managing machinery, storage, and sensitive biological parameters to ensure production stability and product quality. The biological valorization of local date varieties (Hmira, Degla Baida, Tinnacer(Gurbai)) demonstrates how biological constraints can be transformed into opportunities for sustainable innovation.