Addressing Machine Unavailability in Job Shop Scheduling: A Quantum Computing Approach

We consider solving the Job Shop Scheduling Problem (JSSP) with machine unavailability constraints using an analog quantum machine and running the quantum annealing metaheuristic. We propose a technique to handle these new constraints, whether the unavailability periods are known or variable, in order to integrate them into the same type of disjunctive model processed by the analog machine: Binary, Unconstrained, and Quadratic. We present results on small-scale instances corresponding to what these quantum machines can handle.