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One of the key strengths of the Optessa MLS assembly line sequencing
and scheduling product is in the sequencing engine. The
engine can generate a near optimal sequence after considering all the
rules and constraints. Based on the Simulated Annealing technique and
modern optimization techniques and embodying patent pending algorithms,
the engine optimizes the entire sequence by a multi-pass iterative
process. This is a superior approach to a simple one pass scheme. The
user will not be required to spend several hours manually adjusting the
generated sequence.
The following are some of the
important features of Optessa
MLS:
- The entire sequence will be of
even quality: that means that the quality of the sequence
will be evenly favorable without deterioration in the later part. Hence
there will be no uneven lumps at the end of each day or month.
- The system considers all rules
and constraints when generating a sequence, from the highest priority
constraint to the lowest priority constraint. Users can
prioritize constraints by assigning a priority ranking or weight to
each constraint. The user's priority numbers can be directly used.
There is no need to enter any 'magic' penalty numbers.
- The system balances and smoothes
violations if they are inevitable. Often, constraint
violations cannot be avoided since constraints might conflict with
other constraints or data. For example, if a rule specifies that diesel
units should be 1 in 3 in the sequence, however diesel units are only
25% of the orders then Netaps will generally place diesel units in a
1:4 ratio.
- The system supports a large and
comprehensive set of rules and constraints. The system is
readily extensible if a new constraint is encountered which can not be
mapped onto the existing set of constraints; in most cases this will
involve recoding of a single method in the sequencing engine.
- Optessa MLS simplifies rule and
constraint definition. There is no need to enter
additional constraints to map a single condition: every real constraint
can usually be mapped to a single constraint in the system. For
example, the user does not need to enter a long series of numbers to
specify a simple 'X' out of 'Y' constraint. The user merely specifies
that a model-wise spacing is needed, and the system will determine the
parameters by examining the demand data.
- The system supports different
types of penalty functions; by merely choosing a penalty
function type, the user can direct the system to treat violations
correctly. For example, marking a run length constraint as a quadratic
ensures the greater violations of the maximum run length have a higher
penalty. The user does not have to enter complex step ranges and
associated penalty values.
- The system allows constraints be
associated with different bins or buckets: some
constraints may be specified in terms of weekly bins, the others in
terms of daily bins. For example, a weekly even distribution of models
can be specified along with daily limits for V6 engines.
- Optessa MLS offers superior
graphics to view and manipulate the sequence. The user
can, for instance, interactively swap a pair of lots in the sequence
and the system will immediately report the new penalty cost.
- Visualization charts allow the
user to quickly focus on parts of the sequence that have
violations and then drill down to the sequence viewer.
- The system is web-based.
The user interface can be accessed with a web-browser, and the system
allows easy integration with other business systems.
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