System optimization based on iterative specification of operational constraints

An apparatus for determining configurable parameters for a configurable operational system, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• a user interface that, when operating, is configured to:
• present a first plurality of defined decision questions and corresponding key performance indicators (KPIs), wherein one or more of the KPIs include quantitative indications that are configured to limit the use of an input material to a predetermined range, wherein one or more of the KPIs include qualitative indications that are configured to maximize or minimize respective values of the configurable parameters, wherein the defined decision questions are related to a production objective of a manufacturing process where each decision question has a respective associated operational goal within a plurality of operational goals for a configurable operational system included in a product-driven manufacturing system, the configurable operational system including a number of underlying processes that each have physical or chemical transformations from raw materials or intermediate products to a next intermediate product associated with the manufacturing system, where any defined decision question within the first plurality of defined decision questions related to the production objective of the manufacturing process is selectable by a user for presentation in the user interface, and where each operational goal in the plurality of operational goals is defined by the user and is different from configurable operational parameters in the KPIs of the configurable operational system;
• define the plurality of operational goals;
• define the first plurality of defined decision questions, where defined decision questions in the first plurality of defined decision questions are arranged in a hierarchical structure, with each branch of the hierarchical structure setting forth a respective decision process within a plurality of operating scenarios for the configurable operational system, and where defining the first plurality of defined decision questions comprises defining an order to present the defined decision questions;
• receive, based on presentation of the first plurality of defined decision questions and the KPIs, a selection via the user interface of a selected decision question and selected values for the KPIs for presentation in the user interface within the first plurality of defined decision questions;
• receive, as a selected goal indication, an input via the user interface in association with the selected decision question;
• and
• a parameter value determination processor that, when operating, is configured to:
• determine a respective updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals where each respective updated value for each respective operational goal is determined based on an optimization engine adjusting values of configurable operational parameters in the KPIs used by a set of mathematical models of operations of the configurable operational system included in the product-driven manufacturing system to improve a value of a respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question in a direction of the selected goal indication received via the user interface, wherein the mathematical models include regression models that have been trained to characterize operation of subsystems in the configurable operational system, where determining the respective updated value for each respective operational goal comprises:
• determining, for each respective operational goal, a time sequence of operational performance metrics, where each respective operational performance metric in the time sequence of operational performance metrics indicates a value for the respective operational performance metric during a separate time interval;
• and
• calculating the respective updated value for each respective operational goal by aggregating values of each operational performance metric in the time sequence of operational performance metrics for the respective updated value for each respective operational goal,
• where the user interface is further configured to, when operating:
• present on the user interface, based on a determination of the respective updated value for each respective operational goal, a second plurality of defined decision questions, where each respective defined decision question in the second plurality of defined decision questions is presented in association with the respective updated value for each respective operational goal associated with the respective defined decision question in the second plurality of defined decision questions;
• receive, based on the presenting the second plurality of defined decision questions, an indication of a tolerance value for a respective updated value of a tolerance value for the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question;
• receive in the user interface, based on presentation of the second plurality of defined decision questions and the KPIs, a selection of a second selected decision question within the second plurality of defined decision questions and selected values for the KPIs, where the second selected decision question is different than the selected decision question;
• receive, based on presentation of the second plurality of defined decision questions, an indication of a tolerance value for a respective updated value of a tolerance value for the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question;
• and
• receive, as a second goal indication, a second input in association with the second selected decision question, and
• where the parameter value determination processor is further configured to, when operating:
• determine a respective second updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals where each respective second updated value for each respective operational goal is determined based on the optimization engine adjusting values of configurable operational parameters in the KPIs used by the set of mathematical models of operations of the configurable operational system to improve a value of a respective operational goal associated with the selected second decision question in the direction of the selected second goal indication, where determining the respective second updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals comprises:
• limiting a value of the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question to within the tolerance value of the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question;
• and
• present on the user interface which received the selections, based on a determination of the respective second updated value for each configurable operational parameter, each of respective second updated operational goals based upon the respective second updated values, within the plurality of operational goals and a difference between each respective updated operational goal and each respective second updated operational goal,
• wherein the user interface is a computer interface which allows users to provide suitable inputs and the computer interface provides suitable outputs for the user,
• where the selected goal indication is associated with at least one of a performance metric or a business constraint for the configurable operational system, where the at least one of a performance metric or a business constraint affects the respective operational goal for the selected decision question.

A computer program product for determining configurable parameters for a configurable operational system, the computer program product comprising:

• a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• presenting, on a user interface, a first plurality of defined decision questions and corresponding key performance indicators (KPIs), wherein one or more of the KPIs include quantitative indications that are configured to limit the use of an input material to a predetermined range, wherein one or more of the KPIs include qualitative indications that are configured to maximize or minimize respective values of the configurable parameters, wherein the defined decision questions are related to a production objective of a manufacturing process where each decision question has a respective associated operational goal within a plurality of operational goals for a configurable operational system included in a product-driven manufacturing system, the configurable operational system including a number of underlying processes that each have physical or chemical transformations from raw materials or intermediate products to a next intermediate product associated with the manufacturing system, where any defined decision question within the first plurality of defined decision questions related to the production objective of the manufacturing process is selectable by a user for presentation in the user interface, and where each operational goal in the plurality of operational goals is defined by the user and is different from configurable operational parameters in the KPIs of the configurable operational system;
• defining the plurality of operational goals to comprise operational goals that cause an optimization engine to determine configurable operational parameters for the configurable operational system that drive at least one of system physical flow, chemical flow, inventory quantities, or operation smoothness;
• defining the first plurality of defined decision questions, where defined decision questions in the first plurality of defined decision questions are arranged in a hierarchical structure, with each branch of the hierarchical structure setting forth a respective decision process within a plurality of operating scenarios for the configurable operational system, and where defining the first plurality of defined decision questions comprises defining an order to present the defined decision questions;
• receiving, based on the presenting the first plurality of defined decision questions and the KPIs, a selection via the user interface of a selected decision question and selected values for the KPIs for presentation in the user interface within the first plurality of defined decision questions;
• receiving, as a selected goal indication, an input via the user interface in association with the selected decision question;
• determining a respective updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals where each respective updated value for each respective operational goal is determined based on an optimization engine adjusting values of configurable operational parameters in the KPIs used by a set of mathematical models of operations of the configurable operational system included in the product-driven manufacturing system to improve a value of a respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question in a direction of the selected goal indication received via the user interface, wherein the mathematical models include regression models that have been trained to characterize operation of subsystems in the configurable operational system, wherein the regression models correspond to respective processes in the configurable operational system, wherein the regression models are trained using data observed during operation of the respective subsystems over time under various conditions and/or values for the configurable operational parameters;
• presenting on the user interface, based on determining the respective updated value for each respective operational goal, a second plurality of defined decision questions, where each respective defined decision question in the second plurality of defined decision questions is presented in association with the respective updated value for each respective operational goal associated with the respective defined decision question in the second plurality of defined decision questions;
• receiving, based on the presenting the second plurality of defined decision questions, an indication of a tolerance value for a respective updated value of a tolerance value for the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question;
• receiving in the user interface, based on the presenting the second plurality of defined decision questions and the KPIs, a selection of a second selected decision question within the second plurality of defined decision questions and selected values for the KPIs, where the second selected decision question is different than the selected decision question;
• receiving, as a second goal indication, a second input via the user interface in association with the second selected decision question;
• determining a respective second updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals where each respective second updated value for each respective operational goal is determined based on the optimization engine adjusting values of configurable operational parameters in the KPIs used by the set of mathematical models of operations of the configurable operational system to improve a value of a respective operational goal associated with the selected second decision question in the direction of the selected second goal indication, where determining the respective second updated value for each respective operational goal within the plurality of operational goals comprises:
• limiting a value of the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question to within the tolerance value of the respective operational goal associated with the selected decision question,
• determining, for each respective operational goal, a time sequence of operational performance metrics, where each respective operational performance metric in the time sequence of operational performance metrics indicates a value for the respective operational performance metric during a separate time interval, and
• calculating the respective updated value for each respective operational goal by aggregating values of each operational performance metric in the time sequence of operational performance metrics for the respective updated value for each respective operational goal;
• and
• presenting on the user interface which received the selections, based on determining the respective second updated value for each configurable operational parameter, each of respective second updated operational goals based upon the respective second updated values, within the plurality of operational goals and a difference between each respective updated operational goal and each respective second updated operational goal,
• wherein the user interface is a computer interface which allows users to provide:
• suitable inputs and the computer interface provides suitable outputs for the user,
• where the configurable operational system comprises a manufacturing system.