optimisation tools

The Workbench provides web based optimisation tools which solve a range of planning and scheduling problems. A linear workflow provides easy access to the power of the engines.

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Specifications

Features

  • Cheap
  • Simple
  • Convenient
  • Fast
  • Easy to use

Benefits

  • Cost savings from optimisation
  • Efficient planning process
  • Reduce reliance on internal IT resources

Approach

  • No download - Web based application
  • Monthly subscription fee per user
  • Custom engines and workflows available on request

Geocoding

Calculates latitudes and longitudes for multiple street addresses

Specifications

Features

  • Can be used for bulk geocoding
  • Can be ‘nested’ into other Workbench tools

Benefits

  • Streamlined conversion of customer orders into delivery and pickup locations
  • Better understanding of spatial business dynamics
  • Useful as a first step in vehicle routing

Approach

  • Uses the Tinygeocoder Engine
  • Map display via Web Maps Lite

TRAVEL TIME CALCULATOR

Bulk time and distance calculation of shortest path routes between many pairs of locations

Specifications

Features

  • Optimised for bulk shortest path queries
  • Currently available for Australia (other countries to follow)

Benefits

  • Streamlined calculation of travel time between customer locations
  • Useful as a step in vehicle routing

Approach

  • Uses OpenStreetMap spatial data
  • Takes into account:
    • Road speeds
    • One way streets
    • Restricted manoeuvres

vehicle routing

Generates optimised vehicle tours to carry shipments

Specifications

Features

  • Meets the supply and demand time constraints
  • Obeys truck capacity and depot limits
  • Uses loading and unloading times
  • Maximum tour durations

Benefits

  • Lower delivery costs
  • Better vehicle utilisation
  • Improved service levels

Approach

  • Can be used with the Geocoder and Travel Time Calculator
  • Quantified consideration of route ‘drivability’

VESSEL PACKING TOOL

Load planning tool for RORO vessels with an imbedded load optimisation engine

Specifications

Features

  • Highly visual
  • Multiple decks
  • ‘Moment’ calculation
  • Drag and drop functionality
  • Cargo, vessel and unallocated space shown to scale

Benefits

  • Better use of vessel capacity – more revenue per voyage
  • Faster planning

Approach

  • Finds the mix of vehicles which fits ("packs") best into the cargo lanes
  • Solved with a meta-heuristic
  • Fast solution time (10-20 seconds)

Custom Optimisation Models

We provide quantitative analytical services and develop custom models for specific business problems.

Specifications

Features

  • Focus on the math before the IT
  • Insight, collaboration and analysis
  • ‘What-if’ scenarios
  • Inexpensive to build
  • Identify the real costs and constraints
  • Can be ported to the Workbench

Benefits

  • Make better decisions
  • Identify improvements
  • Reduce operating expenses
  • Accurately forecast
  • Efficiently schedule resources
  • Increase throughput

Approach

  • Frame the problem
  • Formulate the algorithm
  • Code the model
  • Use in the real world

Demand Forecasting

This spreadsheet model applies a range of techniques to forecast future demand based on historical demand.

Specifications

Features

  • Exponential Smoothing
  • Trend Adjusted Exponential Smoothing
  • Linear Trend Line
  • Holt-Winters

Benefits

  • Accurate demand forecasts
  • Reduced inventory costs
  • Improved decision-making in production and inventory management

Setup Effort

  • 1 week
  • No on-site time required

Inventory Management

This spreadsheet model allows you to perform demand based, inventory calculations for individual stock lines to optimise inventory management across large sets of SKUs

Specifications

Features

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Linked to the Demand Forecasting Model

Benefits

  • Reduced inventory costs
  • Improved decision-making in production and inventory management

Setup Effort

  • 1 week
  • No on-site time required

Portfolio Optimization

This spreadsheet model selects the portfolio of projects for a given budget that maximises total benefit considering both financial and non-financial criteria

Specifications

Features

  • Used for capital budgeting
  • Includes non-financial criteria, e.g. quality and risk
  • Considers project dependencies
  • Calculates project synergies

Benefits

  • Optimised use of capital budget
  • Objective assessment
  • Consensus on project priorities

Setup Effort

  • 2 weeks
  • On-site time required
  • Determining the relative weightings of non-financial criteria is a critical step

Logistics Network Optimisation

This spreadsheet model optimises the cost of transporting and storing product in an end-to-end logistics network

Specifications

Features

  • Multi-modal
  • Transhipment
  • Excel based
  • View network in Google Earth (kml export)

Benefits

  • Reduced logistic network costs
  • Quantitative assessment of storage and transport options (scenarios)

Setup Effort

  • 4 weeks
  • Baseline model effort depends on data availability and quality

Fibre Optic Network Design

This engine is used to design an optimised cable network for a specific geography using a given reference architecture

Specifications

Features

  • Candidate network can be existing utility network or street network
  • Generates demand by node if needed
  • Near optimal solution solves in two minutes

Benefits

  • Indicative 6% reduction in equipment costs have been proven
  • Huge reduction in design effort (man years to man days)
  • Simpler solution that reduces network complexity
  • Quickly quantify impact of architecture and component changes

Setup Effort

  • 4 weeks
  • Client or Biarri GIS data can be used

Logistics Terminal Simulation

This SimPy model is used for evaluating operations at terminals using detailed simulations of terminal dynamics

Specifications

Features

  • Represents terminal operations for various configurations of fleet, volumes, rules, and infrastructure
  • Built using SimPy

Benefits

  • Increase asset utilisation
  • Improve throughput
  • Remove bottlenecks
  • Prioritise appropriate solutions

Setup Effort

  • 6 weeks
  • On-site time required
  • Main effort is to model network structure and behaviour

Profit Optimisation

This spreadsheet model allows transport companies to optimises profit by balancing operational costs, capital expenditure and revenue

Specifications

Features

  • Excel based
  • Optimise to move all volumes or maximise profit
  • Multi year
  • Alternative pricing structures and volume forecasts

Benefits

  • Increase profit
  • Better pricing
  • Improved asset utilisation
  • Effective capital spend

Setup Effort

  • 4 weeks
  • On-site time required

Field Force Scheduling

This tool is used to prepare optimised schedules for a mobile workforce to meet service level requirements given many constraints and preferences

Specifications

Features

  • Used to plan mobile work forces
  • Scheduling people and vehicles in space and time while taking account of required skill sets; travel times; allowed visit time windows; breaks and shift length

Benefits

  • Reduced operational costs
  • Improved service levels
  • Better staff and vehicle utilisation

Setup Effort

  • 4 weeks
  • On-site time required

Case Studies

Schweppes

Route Planning

Testimonial

"We are very pleased with the work Biarri has done over the past year and know that our customer service has improved further and significant savings have been made. To outsource the optimisation of our fleet to specialists has been a very good business decision, leaving us to concentrate on increasing the efficiency of our transport and operations."

Rob Aiken
Transport Manager, Schweppes.

Need

  • Complex daily planning and optimisation of beverage deliveries
  • Management attention on business improvement not day to day planning

Solution

  • Biarri managed service for daily delivery route planning

Result

  • Optimal vehicle routes and delivery sequences
  • Minimum vehicles and kilometres
  • Robust workable routes
  • Reduced planning cost and effort

QR National Coal

Yield Optimisation

Testimonial

"The Biarri team worked closely with us to provide a complex model which met our specific requirements and delivered it using smart IT to make the solution accessible. In addition the Biarri guys stepped in to assist with the broader project by quickly providing novel solutions allowing all parties to move forward.  Biarri are  clever problem solvers who can be relied on to deliver."

Natalie Rose
Manager, Market Intelligence
QR National Coal

Need

  • Understand business dynamics
  • Maximise margin
  • Make optimal decision across whole business

Solution

  • Multi year business model generating optimal capital plans and detailed asset activities
  • Balances revenue, capex and opex
  • Many mines, hundreds of locos, thousands of wagons and hundreds of thousands of tonnes moved

Result

  • Tool for long term planning and profit optimisation
  • Better asset allocation and contract structuring
  • Align price and contract terms for customers and with optimal asset and delivery arrangements

Queensland Cotton

Logistics Network Optimisation

Testimonial

"Biarri delivered a quantitative model which presented the facts in a way that allowed us to analyse our transport and logistics network and address a number of important strategic questions.  We found using Biarri is a good way to take subjectivity and opinion out of your key decisions. Get Biarri to "do the maths" and make the right decision based on the facts."

Damian Bryce. General Manager
Finance & Administration
Queensland Cotton

Need

  • Reduce logistics costs
  • Match logistics networks to deal with large seasonal variations
  • Many transport and storage options

Solution

  • Strategic network optimisation model to provide lowest cost transport network

Result

  • Designed lowest cost network for many seasonal volume variations
  • Selected optimal warehouse locations and best transport modes