MOGA-based time-cost tradeoffs: Responsiveness for project uncertainties

Existing methods for analyzing the responsiveness of time-cost tradeoff (TCT) profiles with regard to project uncertainties ignore the cost parameter of project activities. To comprise this problem a novel method is developed in this work - it examines the effects of project uncertainties on both, the duration as well as the cost of the activities. The method integrates the two important paradigms of soft computing - multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA), and fuzzy logic - the method is referred to as the integrated Fuzzy-GA. A rule based fuzzy logic framework is developed which brings up the changes in the duration and the cost of each activity for the inputted uncertainties. The framework is integrated with MOGA which would search for Pareto-optimal front (a TCT profile) for a given set of time-cost pair of each project activity. Two standard test problems from the literature are successfully attempted using MOGA. A test case of TCT problem is solved using the integrated Fuzzy-GA. The method provides an efficient tool to project manager to carry out a sensitivity analysis of time-cost tradeoff profiles under varying conditions of existing uncertainties normally encountered in realistic projects.