System and method of segmented modelling for campaign planning in a very large-scale supply chain network

A method, comprising:

• providing a supply chain network comprising a robotic inventory system and a production line comprising automated robotic production machinery, wherein the robotic inventory system is configured to adjust inventory levels and the production line is configured to produce one or more products using one or more campaign operations and one or more campaignable resources;
• interconnecting via a network the production line, a planner and the robotic inventory system;
• modeling, by the planner comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the supply chain network over a planning horizon, the planning horizon comprising one or more time buckets;
• formulating, by the planner, a supply chain master planning problem comprising a hierarchy of objective functions and one or more constraints, wherein each objective function of the hierarchy of objective functions is expressed as a minimization;
• identifying, by the planner, one or more campaignable buffers and one or more campaignable resources;
• dividing, by the planner, the supply chain master planning problem into a first segment comprising one or more items and operations upstream of the one or more campaignable buffers, a second segment comprising the one or more campaignable buffers and the one or more campaignable resources, and a third segment comprising one or more items and operations downstream of the one or more campaignable resources and the one or more campaignable buffers;
• modeling, by the planner, one or more campaign objective functions specific to a campaign planning solution;
• segmenting, by the planner, a campaign planning problem into three stages, wherein each stage comprises a supply chain problem with a different combination of time-bucket granularity, supply chain static structure and objectives;
• solving, by the planner, a campaign planning problem of a first stage of the three stages to determine prioritized production demands on the one or more campaignable buffers;
• solving, by the planner, a campaign planning problem of a second stage of the three stages to determine a timing and a sequence for allocating the one or more campaignable resources to the one or more campaignable buffers that satisfies, at least in part, the prioritized production demands;
• solving, by the planner, a campaign planning problem of a third stage of the three stages to determine a quantity of one or more products to produce on at least one of the one or more campaignable resources during the timing allocated to the at least one of the one or more campaignable resources by solving the campaign planning problem of the second stage and that satisfies, at least in part, the prioritized production demands;
• instructing, by the planner, the robotic inventory system to adjust inventory levels at various stocking points determined by the solution of the campaign planning problem of the third stage;
• and
• instructing, by the planner, the production line to produce the one or more products using the at least one of the one or more campaignable resources and according to the quantity determined by the solution of the campaign planning problem of the third stage.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software, the software when executed configured to:

• interconnect via a network, a supply chain network comprising a robotic inventory system, a production line comprising automated production machinery and a planner, wherein the robotic inventory system is configured to adjust inventory levels, the production line is configured to produce one or more products using one or more campaign operations and one or more campaignable resources and the planner comprises a processor and memory;
• model the supply chain network over a planning horizon, the planning horizon comprising one or more time buckets;
• formulate a supply chain master planning problem comprising a hierarchy of objective functions and one or more constraints, wherein each objective function of the hierarchy of objective functions is expressed as a minimization;
• identify one or more campaignable buffers and one or more campaignable resources;
• divide the supply chain master planning problem into a first segment comprising one or more items and operations upstream of the one or more campaignable buffers, a second segment comprising the one or more campaignable buffers and the one or more campaignable resources, and a third segment comprising one or more items and operations downstream of the one or more Amendment campaignable resources and the one or more campaignable buffers;
• model one or more campaign objective functions specific to a campaign planning solution;
• segment a campaign planning problem into three stages, wherein each stage comprises a supply chain problem with a different combination of time-bucket granularity, supply chain static structure and objectives;
• solve a campaign planning problem of a first stage of the three stages to determine prioritized production demands on the one or more campaignable buffers;
• solve a campaign planning problem of a second stage of the three stages to determine a timing and a sequence for allocating the one or more campaignable resources to the one or more campaignable buffers that satisfies, at least in part, the prioritized production demands;
• solve a campaign planning problem of a third stage of the three stages to determine a quantity of one or more products to produce on at least one of the one or more campaignable resources during the timing allocated to the at least one of the one or more campaignable resources by solving the campaign planning problem of the second stage and that satisfies, at least in part, the prioritized production demands;
• instruct the robotic inventory system to adjust inventory levels at various stocking points determined by the solution of the campaign planning problem of the third stage;
• and
• instruct the production line to produce the one or more products using the at least one of the one or more campaignable resources and according to the quantity determined by the solution of the campaign planning problem of the third stage.