System and method for optimizing equipment schedules
First Claim
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1. A method for planning, comprising:
- generating an equipment scheduling solution for equipment used to process items, the generating the equipment scheduling solution including minimizing an amount of ending inventory of the items in a scheduling time period;
generating staffing requirements for personnel during the scheduling time period based on the equipment scheduling solution; and
generating a staffing solution for the scheduling time period based on the staffing requirements.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for developing and optimizing equipment operating schedules. Embodiments also describe the relationship between equipment scheduling and related objectives, such as staff scheduling. In one respect, embodiments of the invention consider staffing constraints in developing equipment schedules. In another respect, embodiments of the invention provide outputs from an equipment scheduling tool that can facilitate improved labor schedules, for example with respect to equipment operators and/or material handlers.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for planning, comprising:
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generating an equipment scheduling solution for equipment used to process items, the generating the equipment scheduling solution including minimizing an amount of ending inventory of the items in a scheduling time period;
generating staffing requirements for personnel during the scheduling time period based on the equipment scheduling solution; and
generating a staffing solution for the scheduling time period based on the staffing requirements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for planning, comprising:
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receiving equipment scheduling data and constraints for equipment used to process items;
creating a first equipment scheduling solution that minimizes inventory of the items remaining unprocessed at the end of a scheduling period;
relaxing an ending inventory by a first parameter, the relaxing the ending inventory raising an ending inventory constraint value for evaluating subsequent alternative equipment scheduling solutions; and
creating a second equipment scheduling solution based on the first equipment scheduling solution and the ending inventory constraint that minimizes a number of shifts that a piece of equipment is scheduled during the scheduling period. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for generating material handler staffing requirements, comprising:
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modeling a plurality of process operations, each of the plurality of process operations having an input buffer, a processing capability, and at least one output buffer;
calculating inventory for each of the plurality of process operations during a time period, the calculating including;
decrementing inventory in the associated input buffer; and
incrementing inventory in the associated at least one output buffer, the decrementing and incrementing based on the associated processing capability; and
determining material handler requirements based on inventory in at least one of the associated input buffer and the associated at least one output buffer at the end of the time period. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:
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generating an equipment scheduling solution for equipment used to process items, the generating the equipment scheduling solution including minimizing an amount of ending inventory of the items in a scheduling time period;
generating staffing requirements for personnel during the scheduling time period based on the equipment scheduling solution; and
generating a staffing solution for the scheduling time period based on the staffing requirements.
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17. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:
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receiving equipment scheduling data and constraints for equipment used to process items;
creating a first equipment scheduling solution that minimizes inventory of the items remaining unprocessed at the end of a scheduling period;
relaxing an ending inventory by a first parameter, the relaxing the ending inventory raising an ending inventory constraint value for evaluating subsequent alternative equipment scheduling solutions; and
creating a second equipment scheduling solution based on the first equipment scheduling solution and the ending inventory constraint that minimizes a number of shifts that a piece of equipment is scheduled during the scheduling period.
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18. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:
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modeling a plurality of process operations, each of the plurality of process operations having an input buffer, a processing capability, and at least one output buffer;
calculating inventory for each of the plurality of process operations during a time period, the calculating including;
decrementing inventory in the associated input buffer; and
incrementing inventory in the associated at least one output buffer, the decrementing and incrementing based on the associated processing capability; and
determining material handler requirements based on inventory in at least one of the associated input buffer and the associated at least one output buffer at the end of the time period.
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19. A planning system comprising:
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an equipment scheduling engine, the equipment scheduling engine configured to output an equipment scheduling solution based on a minimized ending inventory of items processed by the equipment;
a simulation model, the simulation model configured to validate the equipment scheduling solution and further configured to generate material handler requirements; and
an interface to a staff scheduler. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification