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Constraint Programming for Supply Chain Management

SCM Information Day, Nov. 21/02. Constraint Programming for Supply Chain Management. J. Christopher Beck Cork Constraint Computation Centre (4C) c.beck@4c.ucc.ie. Outline. What is Constraint Computation? aka Constraint Programming (CP)

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Constraint Programming for Supply Chain Management

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  1. SCM Information Day, Nov. 21/02 Constraint Programming for Supply Chain Management J. Christopher BeckCork Constraint Computation Centre (4C) c.beck@4c.ucc.ie

  2. Outline • What is Constraint Computation? • aka Constraint Programming (CP) • What does constraint computation have to do with supply chain management?

  3. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A Puzzle You have 5 minutes! • Place the numbers 1 through 8 in the nodes such that: • Each number appears exactly once • No connected nodes have consecutive numbers

  4. Modeling • Each node  a variable • {1, …, 8}  values in the domain of each variable • No consecutive numbers  a constraint • (vi, vj)  |vi – vj| > 1 • All values used  all-different constraint

  5. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Heuristic Search {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} 1 8

  6. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Inference/Propagation {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} 1 8 {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

  7. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Inference/Propagation {3, 4, 5, 6} {3, 4, 5, 6} 4 6 {3, 4, 5, 6, 7} {2, 3, 4, 5, 6} 7 1 8 2 3 5 {3, 4, 5, 6} {3, 4, 5, 6}

  8. The Core of Constraint Computation • Modeling • What should the variables/domains/constraints be? • Heuristic Search • Quality vs. complexity trade-off • Inference/Propagation • How much effort should be spent on inference? Focus of 4C: Automating the process of constraint modeling and solution strategy configuration

  9. Outline • What is Constraint Computation? • What does constraint computation have to do with SCM?

  10. A Commercial Reality • First-tier software vendors embed CP technology in their SCM software This is not to imply that SCM is a “solved” problem Nor that CP is (just) a matter of engineering

  11. CP & SCM • The puzzle is actually a hard problem • NP-complete • Can apply the same technology to core SCM problems • Vehicle routing • Scheduling • Warehouse location

  12. Example: Vehicle Routing [10 20] [15 15] 10 [10 20] [25 20] 15 10 Depot

  13. Example: Vehicle Routing [10 20] [20 20] 10 [10 20] [10 10] 15 10 Depot

  14. SCM is Distributed

  15. Distributed Problem Solving • SCM cannot be solved centrally • Problem size, authority, corporate structure • Distributed problem solving is key • Sub-problems are still important (and hard!)

  16. SCM-related Research at 4C • Scheduling & vehicle routing • Distributed scheduling • Negotiation & privacy • Soft constraints & preferences • Focus on reducing the cognitive load for using existing technology

  17. Research at 4C: Extending SCM • Concurrent engineering • Extend the supply chain to design phase • On-line configuration • Bring the individual into the supply chain • Dealing with uncertainty • The course of true SCM never did run smooth

  18. Take Home Message • CP is a commercial reality in SCM • Insight into the core of CP technology • 4C is pushing the bounds of CP • Automation of hard parts of using CP • Application of CP to new problems • 4C is interested is SCM • Application for on-going research • New opportunities

  19. 4C - Contact Information Director:Professor Gene Freuder E-mail: e.freuder@4c.ucc.ie External Liaison Officer:Dr. James Little Phone: +353-(0)21-4255410 E-mail: j.little@4c.ucc.ie Post: 4C, UCC, Cork, Ireland www.4c.ucc.ie

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