Operational Logistics

Useful New Abilities

The abilities to:

• embed alternatives, contingencies• switch on/off different chains• dynamically extend the model• the model to learn from simulations• model the object the logistics chain is supplying

More descriptive structure - more states - more flexibility

Symbolizing Activities

Existence of the activity is logically controllable.

Messages Are Sent Through The Undirected Structure

Embedding Logic

IF Duration < 10 THEN Bonus = 200 ELSE Bonus = 0

Changing the Duration changes the Costand vice versa

Controlling Existence

N o R esourceAvailab leO r Bookings L im ited

N o Tim e

O ther Logic

C ost TooH igh

O therA lternative

Sw itches O nInfluences flow through the network

A FALSE state coming out of one ACTIVITY will cause the XOR to switch the control pin on another activity to TRUE

Planning Oddities - Extensibility

A B CC om bin ing Tasks-R educing D uplicationAnd R esource U se

P iggyBacking- O ne TaskLum pedO nto Another

Ad H ocW ork

Rush J o b

If Yo u Ha ve Tim e...

Structural Backtrack

The model can modify its own structure, observe the result, then either undo the change or continue - useful when the plan has to respond dynamically to complex situations

Jumping About

The examples refer to Constraint Reasoning - staying within consistent states.

Most planning is about jumping from one state to a new state inconsistent with the last.

The logistics model needs to be useful in evaluating scenarios inconsistent with the current plan - of reorganising itself so some new plan is consistent.

The system is more comprehensible because it uses logical states in uncommitted structure to guide its actions and it responds dynamically to changes in its structure

The System as a Thinking Tool

Impact On Logistics Management

The Logistics Manager is usually disconnected form the purpose of the plan, dealing only with the supply of objects.

The ability to blend a logistics view - the “when”, “where from” and “how” - with the “what” and “why” and the overall risk - allows a more holistic view of the purpose of the logistics plan.

Flexibility

Why use a general approach to the problems of Operational Logistics?

If you are not exactly sure what might turn up in the problem space, then a general approach is the only way to go - no time to revise a program in the heat of the moment.