Cost optimization in the efficient allocation of multipurpose labor: A tool for short and medium-term management

Meeting cost and time targets is one of the main factors associated with the competitiveness and economic sustainability of companies.  In civil construction, projects are characterized by unique projects, with low repetitiveness, strong dependence on local conditions, and intensive use of labor. In the Brazilian context, the performance of a single project can severely impact the financial health of the company, making the efficient allocation of resources essential. This work proposes a nonlinear programming model for the allocation of multipurpose labor in civil construction projects using the Generalized Reduced Gradient method. The results point to the ability of the model to indicate the allocation of labor optimizing the cost of execution while meeting multiple operational constraints. In this aspect, the tool is capable of meeting specific scenarios, contributing to decision making, especially in the scope of short and medium term management.