Optimus

Loading automation tool that minimizes wasted space while maximizing quality of loads composition by pairing wisely inventory available and dealers' needs.

General informations on algorithm procedure for the main process

Optimus algorithm proceeds by executing the following steps:

• Search of perfect match between orders (wishes) from orders' list (wishlist) and available inventory

  We run through each wish beginning by the one with lowest rank and associate it inventory if there's enough available to fulfill it.

• Construction of loads from the association made in the perfect match

  For each plant to plant, we try to build the largest number of loads possible with items at our reach (coming from the perfect match). Loads built we'll be only considered if they respect all constraints defined by BRP. Constraints are detailed in a further section

  If the number of loads built exceeds the maximum accepted for the plant to plant, only the best ones in terms of highest number of mandatory crates and lowest average ranking will be kept

  Items that could not made it to the loads are sent back to the available inventory for the next step

• Satisfaction of minimums

  Using the inventory remaining from last step and considering wishes that are still unfulfilled, we run trough each plant to plant begining by the ones with the lowest priority number and try to build enough loads to satisfy their minimum expected if it wasn't reached earlier

  Items that could not made it to the loads are sent back to the available inventory for the next step

• Satisfaction of maximums

  Using the inventory remaining from last step and considering wishes that are still unfulfilled, we run trough each plant to plant begining by the ones with the lowest priority number and try to build enough loads to satisfy their maximum expected if it wasn't reached earlier

  Items that could not made it to the loads are sent back to the available inventory for the next step

• Distribution of leftovers

  Using the inventory remaining from the whole process and considering wishes that are still unfulfilled, we try to fill space remaining in truck trailers that are already built and ready to go

Usage

Program can be run by clicking on run_optimus.py at the following path : S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus

An interface will show up and allow user to select among three different modes of operations

1. P2P Full Process
2. Fast Loads
3. Forecast

P2P Full process

This Optimus mode drives all daily morning operations linked to loads buidling.

Once chosen on the Mode selection interface, the full process starts by opening another interface leaving to the user a lot of flexibility and options for the loads building of every plant to plant.

Max and min

As seen above, we can set a minimum and a maximum number of loads that we want to respect for each plant to plant. It's important to be aware of the following details:

• The minimum can be set to 0 without any problem. If it's greater than 0, Optimus will try to fulfill this constraint as much as it can

• If the user decides to do not build any loads for one plant to plant, he must press the SKIP button. The SKIP button will ensure that every orders (wish) linked to this plant to plant will not be considered in the process.

• The maximum of two plant to plant are currently shared if both plant to plant have the same POINT TO and their POINT FROM are either 4100 or 4125. This shared maximum number of loads will always be strictly respected.

Flatbed

The flatbed presented in the interface refer to the 48 feet long trailers. However, all plant to plant with POINT FROM that are either 4100 or 4125 share also implicitly two 53 feet long flatbed at anytime.

Priority

The priority indicates which plant to plant to consider first while satisfying maximums and minimums. A priority number can be use more than once.

Transit

Transit is actually not considered by the algorithm

Fast Loads

This Optimus mode offer a simple tool to the user who simply wants to build loads with items and trailers at his reach

Once chosen on the Mode selection interface, the Fast Loads starts by opening another interface which Crates part will be already filled with data entered earlier by the user in FastLoadsSKUs.xlsx from the same directory as run_optimus.py

Drybox validation

If checked by the user, every loads built in a drybox will be compared to the same loads but packed in a flatbed 43. If the equivalent loads stored in the flatbed 43 don't satisfy percentage of length that must covered minimally, the load will be rejected.

Forecast

Once chosen on the Mode selection interface, the Forecast starts by opening another interface which has the same shape as the P2P Full Process interface.

The Forecast will only execute the P2P Full Process repetitively in order to simulate 8 weeks of loads building planning and give an approximation of the numbers of loads that will be built for each plant to plant in the future.

Constraints for loads building in the main process

Here's a list of constraints that must be respected by all the loads

• The minimal percentage of length that must be covered when satisfying minimum is set to 74% (can be changed)
• The minimal percentage of length that must be covered when satisfying maximum is set to 80% (can be changed)
• The length measure used to calculate the above validation is considered as the length of the trailer which the width used is equal or greater than the smallest width accepted.
• The smallest width accepted for a stack that has no other stack by its side is set to 55" (can be changed)
• Only orders with good credit status can be considered when satisfying maximums (can be deactived)
• All crates for which overhang is allowed must have 70% of its surface on the truck (can be changed)
• All loads built on drybox must satisfy the validation criteria detailed earlier for Fast Loads (can be deactivated)
• A wood crate can be stack above another only if its length is smaller and its width is equal or is maximum 6" smaller than the other crate (can be changed)
• A metal crate can be stack above another only if its length and its width is equal to the other crate (can be changed)
• Only complete stacks are allowed to be on a load built in all step of the process except when we execute the leftover distrbution.

Settings

This section look over all sections of codes that can be changed to impact Optimus outcomes

P2P Full Process

Many global variable values can be changed at the beginning of P2PFullProcess.py located at S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus\Code\Optimus-master\Load_Process

Purpose and impact of each variable are written in code comments as seen in the following image

Forecast

The same variables setting is also available for the Forecast in P2PForecast.pylocated at S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus\Code\Optimus-master\Load_Process

LoadBuilder class

The LoadBuilders are the objects that has the task to create loads with crates and trailers available. Different attribute values of these object can lead to different load results.

Default values of these attributes can be changed in LoadBuilder.pylocated at S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus\Code\Optimus-master\LoadBuilding

Note that the default lower bound is set to 80% but is modified during the execution of the P2PFullprocess and the Forecast via the function satisfy_max_or_min of P2PFunctions.py located at S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus\Code\Optimus-master\Load_Process

Sharing point from

All details associated to POINT FROM that are sharing flatbed 53 and that are also sharing maximums among same POINT TO can be modified via P2PFunctions.py located at S:\Shared\Business_Planning\Tool\Plant_to_plant\Optimus\Code\Optimus-master\Load_Process