Optimization of the global program plan at Daimler Trucks
Executive Summary
OPTANO GmbH has successfully developed and introduced an OPTANO solution for Daimler Trucks to optimize the global sales and production program in the powertrain area. Following a conception phase (OR|Analysis) and the modeling of the IT system (OR|Model), the software was implemented with a perfect fit (OR|System).
The client uses OPTANO for program planning:
- Optimization of the global program plan
- Identification and resolution of bottlenecks
- Evaluation and comparison of alternative scenarios
- Reporting the results to an extended user group
- Integrated tracking of the implementation of planning specifications by the production plants
The project was implemented by OPTANO in close cooperation with the customer, meeting all quality standards and adhering to the budget and schedule.
Goals at a glance
Mathematical optimization with complex constraints
Comprehensive collaboration model
Expressiveness Visualization of the planning results
Extensive tracking of the implementation
The project in detail
The challenge
To accompany the project, the client's planning process was expanded to include global planning. The challenges consisted of
- Transfer of the existing planning process into a process for global planning
- Complexity of the global planning process with the aim of improving capacity utilization, facilitating control and monitoring and reducing planning time to implement short-term changes in international supply chains
- Implementation of multi-stage planning with various objectives and consideration of decisions already made
The procedure
OPTANO worked closely with the client's project managers in an agile process to specify and develop the IT solution and provide support during the software rollout. The OR experts took on the following tasks in particular:
- The analysis of the current situation, the available data sources and the desired outputs
- Planning the target process
- Mapping planning issues in data structures and algorithms
- The creation of the software architecture
- The implementation of the functions
- Management of the agile development process
- User training
- The introduction of the system
The technology
The software was developed on the basis of the OPTANO platform. This meant that the solution could be implemented in a very short time.
- Client-server solution with multi-user support, data warehouse and scenario management
- Mainframe connection, e.g. for current stock levels, in-transit stocks, demand forecast
- Integration of customer-specific stability requirements, e.g. for overloading
- Optimization with hierarchical goals: Satisfy demand, operate network robustly, in particular comply with minimum stock levels, create cost-optimized plans
- Use of the OPTANO optimization server, supported by the Gurobi solver
- Visualization of results and reporting to communicate the results to non-users
The result
OPTANO has introduced a versatile planning and optimization system to optimize the planning situation. It includes the following functions, among others:
- Central scenario management and a comprehensive collaboration model for distributed teams
- Data warehouse processes to reduce manual effort: data consolidation, storage and offsetting/aggregation
- Connection to customer-specific SAP interfaces
- Mathematical optimization of network planning with complex constraints and multi-level optimization
- Extensive Excel connection with intelligent imports and exports
- Meaningful visualization of the planning results and their effects
- Extensive tracking of actual implementation
The OPTANO solution is used as the leading system for network planning.