Multi-tier cross-department scheduling model for order processing operations

• US 8,117,052 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Distribution Planning Horizons LLC
• Original Assignee: Distribution Planning Horizons LLC
• Inventors: Chung, Casey, Sriskandarajah, Chelliah
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clark, David J
• Application Number:
  US11/866,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A multi-tier cross-department scheduling model for order processing operations. A scheduling model for planning assignment of discrete jobs to multiple departments for shipment, wherein selected jobs are assignable to respective selected departments and the departments share finite capacity resources, includes a programmable computer system having loaded therein an objective function, and the computer system being operable to minimize a value of the objective function; and wherein the objective function comprises a sum of cost to ship containers in at least one of consolidated and unconsolidated forms, cost for each of a container equivalent not completed in a selected scheduling horizon, cost to process each job in each department, and cost for setup due to at least one of shift crossing and job splitting.

Claims

1. A scheduling model system for planning assignment of discrete jobs to multiple departments for shipment, wherein selected jobs are assignable to respective selected departments, and the departments share finite capacity resources, the model comprising:

a programmable computer system having loaded therein an objective function, and the computer system minimizes a value of the objective function; and

wherein the objective function comprises a sum of cost to ship containers in at least one of consolidated and unconsolidated forms, cost for each of a container equivalent that is not completed in a selected scheduling horizon, cost to process each job in each department, and cost for setup due to at least one of shift crossing and job splitting,

wherein the cost for each of a container equivalent that is not completed in a selected scheduling horizon is represented in the objective function by the expression

2. The scheduling model system of claim 1, wherein the cost to ship containers in at least one of consolidated and unconsolidated forms is represented in the objective function by the expression

3. The scheduling model system of claim 1, wherein the cost to process each job in each department is represented in the objective function by the expression

4. The scheduling model system of claim 1, wherein the cost for setup due to at least one of shift crossing and job splitting is represented in the objective function by the expression

5. A method of scheduling discrete jobs for shipment from multiple departments which share finite capacity resources, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing an objective function which comprises a sum of cost to ship containers in at least one of consolidated and unconsolidated forms, cost for each of a container equivalent that is not completed in a selected scheduling horizon, cost to process each job in each department, and cost for setup due to at least one of shift crossing and job splitting;

loading the objective function into a programmable computer system; and

programming the computer system to minimize a value of the objective function, and then the computer system minimizing the value of the objective function,

wherein the objective function constructing step includes representing the cost for each of a container equivalent that is not completed in a selected scheduling horizon by the expression

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the objective function constructing step includes representing the cost to ship containers in at least one of consolidated and unconsolidated forms by the expression

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the objective function constructing step includes representing the cost to process each job in each department by the expression

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the objective function constructing step includes representing the cost for setup due to at least one of shift crossing and job splitting by the expression