INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PLANNING FOR BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM CAPACITY DEMANDS
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- forecasting capacity demands over a defined time period, wherein the capacity demands are for services provided by equipment, the equipment having a defined service capacity;
forecasting pricing data over the defined time period, the forecasted pricing data includes future equipment price dataset and future rental price dataset, the future equipment price dataset includes estimated future prices for purchase of additional equipment over the defined time period and the future rental prices dataset includes estimated future prices for rental orders of additional equipment over the defined time period;
generating an optimized equipment purchase plan that includes indicators to purchase equipment having sufficient capacity to fulfill but not exceed the forecasted capacity demands over the defined time period;
determining the remainder capacity demands that are not fulfilled by the equipment purchase in accordance with the optimized equipment purchase plan;
generating an optimized rental order plan that includes indicators to order equipment rentals having sufficient capacity to at least fulfill the remainder capacity demands over the defined time period;
producing an equipment-acquisition plan by combining the optimized equipment purchase plan and the optimized rental order plan; and
reporting the produced equipment-acquisition plan.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are technologies related to infrastructure investment planning for short-term and long-term capacity demands. One or more of the described technologies involve solving rent-or-buy optimization for real world infrastructure investment planning. Such technologies utilize forecasting, predictive analysis and dynamic programming. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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forecasting capacity demands over a defined time period, wherein the capacity demands are for services provided by equipment, the equipment having a defined service capacity; forecasting pricing data over the defined time period, the forecasted pricing data includes future equipment price dataset and future rental price dataset, the future equipment price dataset includes estimated future prices for purchase of additional equipment over the defined time period and the future rental prices dataset includes estimated future prices for rental orders of additional equipment over the defined time period; generating an optimized equipment purchase plan that includes indicators to purchase equipment having sufficient capacity to fulfill but not exceed the forecasted capacity demands over the defined time period; determining the remainder capacity demands that are not fulfilled by the equipment purchase in accordance with the optimized equipment purchase plan; generating an optimized rental order plan that includes indicators to order equipment rentals having sufficient capacity to at least fulfill the remainder capacity demands over the defined time period; producing an equipment-acquisition plan by combining the optimized equipment purchase plan and the optimized rental order plan; and reporting the produced equipment-acquisition plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10)
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- 8. The method according to clan 1, wherein the optimized rental order plan lists when to order rental equipment with sufficient capacity to at least fulfill the remainder capacity demands over the defined time period.
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11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that when executed cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
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forecasting capacity demands over a defined time period, wherein the capacity demands are for services provided by equipment, the equipment having a defined service capacity, wherein the forecasting of the capacity demands utilizes predictive analytics to determine future capacity demands over the time period; forecasting pricing data over the defined time period, the forecasted pricing data includes future equipment price dataset and future rental price dataset, the future equipment price dataset includes estimated future prices for purchase of additional equipment over the defined time period and the future rental prices dataset includes estimated future prices for rental orders of additional equipment over the defined time period; generating an optimized equipment purchase plan that includes indicators to purchase equipment having sufficient capacity to fulfill but not exceed the forecasted capacity demands over the defined time period, wherein the generating of the optimized equipment purchase plan includes performing a two-dimensional dynamic programming function based, at least in part, on the forecasted capacity demands and the forecasted pricing data; determining the remainder capacity demands that is not fulfilled by the equipment purchase in accordance with the optimized equipment purchase plan; generating an optimized rental order plan that includes indicators to order equipment rentals having sufficient capacity to at least fulfill the remainder capacity demands over the defined time period, wherein the generating of the optimized rental order plan includes performing a one-dimensional dynamic programming function based, at least in part, on the remainder capacity demands and the forecasted pricing data; producing an equipment-acquisition plan by combining the optimized equipment purchase plan and the optimized rental order plan; and reporting the produced equipment-acquisition plan. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A system for facilitating production of an optimized equipment-acquisition plan, comprising:
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a non-transitory memory device for storing computer readable program code; and a processor device in communication with the memory device, the processor device being operative with the computer readable program code to perform steps including forecasting capacity demands over a defined time period, wherein the capacity demands are for services provided by equipment, the equipment having a defined service capacity, forecasting pricing data over the defined time period, the forecasted pricing data includes future equipment price dataset and future rental price dataset, the future equipment price dataset includes estimated future prices for purchase of additional equipment over the defined time period and the future rental prices dataset includes estimated future prices for rental orders of additional equipment over the defined time period, generating an optimized equipment purchase plan that includes indicators to purchase equipment having sufficient capacity to fulfill but not exceed the forecasted capacity demands over the defined time period, the generating of the optimized equipment purchase plan is based, at least in part, on the forecasted capacity demands and the forecasted pricing data, determining the remainder capacity demands that is not fulfilled by the equipment purchase in accordance with the optimized equipment purchase plan, generating an optimized rental order plan that includes indicators to order equipment rentals having sufficient capacity to at least fulfill the remainder capacity demands over the defined time period, the generating of the optimized rental order plan is based, at least in part, on the remainder capacity demands and the forecasted pricing data, producing an equipment-acquisition plan by combining the optimized equipment purchase plan and the optimized rental order plan, and executing the produced equipment-acquisition plan, wherein the executing of the produced equipment-acquisition plan includes automated submission of orders to purchase and/or rent equipment in accordance with the produced equipment-acquisition plan. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification