Optimization Solvers

The heart of the PlanVidia system is the multi-parameter optimization engine. The optimal solution is sought globally using the real network of roads (MultiNet Tele Atlas) considering time constraints and business logics defining the operation. The optimization is performed in global sense in the three domains simultaneously:

• Time domain (respecting appointments, opening hours, working hours, breaks, etc.)
• Space domain (directly on the network of roads including all traffic regulations)
• Business domain (legal and operational constraints)

The optimization process starts from the description of the service operation This process is called parameterization. We use attributes to describe service points (clients), technicians (agents) and constraints of the operation (business logics). E.g. the available human resource will be defined as number of technicians each having the following attributes:

• ID / Name
• Start location (address)
• End location (address)
• Skills (all skills technician can perform)
• Working hours (start, end, lunch, etc.)

A similar parameterization is used to describe clients (service points). The information is entered into the system using standard XML templates.

Optimization Criteria

The optimization criteria are defined as hard and soft constraints controlling the solver:

• Minimization of global resource
• Minimization of total route length (km's)
• Minimization of global operational cost
• Balanced work load
• Limited overtime
• User specific optimization function

Constraints - hard and soft

• Operation constrained by legal working hours
• Optimal number of depots (starting points)
• Equal workload distribution
• Loading capacity
• Maximum number of clients
• User specific constraints

Daily operations can be planned within just a few minutes and re-planned (dynamic planning) every 1-2 hours to adjust the operation to possible delays (traffic), to include new service calls and other unpredictable parameters not considered in the original planning.