1. Assume that you are the assistant to the manager for operations at the FAA. Use the techniques of work shift scheduling to develop an analysis of the total workforce requirements and days-off schedule.

2. On the basis of your primary analysis, discuss the potential implications for workforce requirements and days-off scheduling if assumptions (a) and (b) above are relaxed so that analysis can be based on the hourly demand without the constraints of a preset number of shifts and no overlapping of shifts. In other words, discuss the effects of analyzing hourly demand requirements on the basis of each ATC position essentially having its own shift, which can overlap with any other ATC shift to meet that demand.

3. Do you feel that this would result in a larger or smaller degree of difficulty in meeting the four general constraints? Why?

4. What additional suggestions could you make to the manager of operations to minimize the workforce requirements level and days-off scheduling difficulty?