Absolute points for multiple assignment problems

An algorithm is presented to solve multiple assignment problems in which a cost is incurred only when an assignment is made at a given cell. The proposed method recursively searches for single/group absolute points to identify cells that must be loaded in any optimal solution. Unlike other methods, the first solution is the optimal solution. The algorithm provides the user with both an insight into the problem and the ability to critically analyse the data. It is easy to apply and can provide an effective tool for practitioners to solve problems of any size.