Production and distribution supply chain optimization software
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of managing a process, said computer implemented method comprising:
- identifying activities that comprise the process, wherein the process is a series of activities, wherein an input of at least one subsequent activity is dependent on an output of at least one previous activity;
identifying drivers associated with at least one metric, reflecting an efficiency of said process, for each of the activities;
identifying, in a computer, bridge variables from said identified drivers, wherein each bridge variable is a driver that is relevant to more than one of said activities;
establishing, in a computer, a relationship between various drivers by representing at least one non-bridge variable driver in terms of one or more of said bridge variables;
using said relationship, representing activities at least as a function of one or more of said bridge variables, thereby reflecting interdependence between said activities to represent the entire series of activities of said process, in a computer;
generating, in a computer, a model of said process at least as a function of said bridge variables by combining representations of activities comprising said process; and
outputting, from said model in a computer, a predictive metric reflecting an efficiency of the total process.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method of modeling a complex system, the model produced by such a method, and a method of optimizing a complex system by optimizing such a model. The first step in the modeling method is to identify the activities that comprise the process. Measurable drivers for each activity are identified. The costs associated with each driver are identified as fixed and, where appropriate, variable components. Each activity is then represented as a function of its driver'"'"'s cost components. Relationships between the drivers that are relevant to more than one activity are derived. A function that represents the process is built using the derived relationships. The model (function) thus produced is an expression of the entire process in terms of variables that are drivers for more than one activity within the process. Optimizing the modeled process is accomplished by optimizing the model constructed as described above for certain selected objective(s). The model can be modified by changing constraints thus enabling the user to run through a large number of “what if” scenarios to determine what is the best solution under varying conditions.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of managing a process, said computer implemented method comprising:
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identifying activities that comprise the process, wherein the process is a series of activities, wherein an input of at least one subsequent activity is dependent on an output of at least one previous activity; identifying drivers associated with at least one metric, reflecting an efficiency of said process, for each of the activities; identifying, in a computer, bridge variables from said identified drivers, wherein each bridge variable is a driver that is relevant to more than one of said activities; establishing, in a computer, a relationship between various drivers by representing at least one non-bridge variable driver in terms of one or more of said bridge variables; using said relationship, representing activities at least as a function of one or more of said bridge variables, thereby reflecting interdependence between said activities to represent the entire series of activities of said process, in a computer; generating, in a computer, a model of said process at least as a function of said bridge variables by combining representations of activities comprising said process; and outputting, from said model in a computer, a predictive metric reflecting an efficiency of the total process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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a computer; input and output devices in communication with said computer; and a memory encoded with a computer program, which, when executed by said computer, causes said computer to perform the following; allow a user to identify activities that comprise a process, wherein the process is a series of activities, wherein an input of at least one subsequent activity is dependent on an output of at least one previous activity, further allow said user to identify measurable drivers associated with a at least one metric, reflecting an efficiency of said process, for each of the activities;
identify bridge variables from said identified drivers, wherein each bridge variable is a driver that is relevant to more than one of said activities;
establish a relationship between various drivers by representing at least one non-bridge variable driver in terms of one or more said bridge variables;
using said relationship, represent activities at least as a function of one or more of said bridge variables, thereby reflecting interdependence between said activities to represent the entire series of activities of said process;
generate a model of said process at least as a function of said bridge variables by combining representations of activities comprising said process; and
output, from said model, a predictive metric reflecting an efficiency of the total process. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A computer-readable data storage medium containing program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the following:
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allow a user to identify activities that comprise a process, wherein the process is a series of activities, wherein an input of at least one subsequent activity is dependent on an output of at least one previous activity; further allow said user to identify drivers associated with a metric reflecting an efficiency of said process for each of the activities; identify bridge variables from said identified drivers, wherein each bridge variable is a driver that is relevant to more than one of said activities; establish a relationship between various drivers by representing at least one non-bridge variable driver in terms of one or more of said bridge variables; using said relationship, represent activities at least as a function of one or more of said bridge variables, thereby reflecting interdependence between said activities to represent the entire series of activities of said process; generate a model of said process at least as a function of said bridge variables by combining representations of activities comprising said process; and output, from said model, a predictive metric reflecting on efficiency of the total process. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-implemented method of managing a process, said computer implemented method comprising:
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identifying activities that comprise the process, wherein the process is a series of activities, wherein an input of at least one subsequent activity is dependent on an output of at least one previous activity; identifying drivers associated with at least one metric, reflecting an efficiency of said process, for each of the activities, wherein identifying said drivers includes identifying at least one of fixed components and variable components of each said driver; determining, in a computer, a metric for each said driver based on said at least one of fixed components and variable components thereof; generating, in a computer, a model of said process at least as a function of said drivers by combining representations of activities comprising said process; and outputting, from said model in a computer, a predictive metric reflecting an efficiency of the total process. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification