Optimisation

• Optimisation technology helps organisations choose the best option from the available alternatives. It combines methods from mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence to quickly zoom in on the most likely candidates and efficiently produce solutions to the even the hardest of problems.

  Optimisation Technology

  Intellify™ includes the following optimisation techniques:

  • Constraint Programming is used for complex decision problems whose variables are integer or binary. A variety of built-in high level constraints (some non-linear) allow succinct and powerful problem descriptions to be made and solved. Solving is carried out through a built in constraint-based search.
  • Linear Programming is used on models with linear constraints where the solution can be expressed in real numbers.
  • Integer Programming operates on linear models where the solution can only be integer.
  • Scheduling is used on models describing the resources and tasks of the problem, while providing specialised scheduling constraints and algorithms.

  Artificial Intelligence

  Intellify™ incorporates a number of techniques developed within the broad topic of “Artifical Intelligence” (AI). AI studies systems that perceive their environment and take actions that maximize the chances of success. The field has brought forth a wide range of tools. Included in Intellify™ are:

  • Optimisation and advanced search strategies, as described separately here;
  • Classification and pattern matching algorithms that can be used to analyse data;
  • a Business Rules Management System allows to specify the policies, requirements, and conditional statements that have to be adhered to when finding solutions; and
  • Planning technology that operates on models describing processes in terms of their pre and post conditions, while also providing the algorithms to sequence these processes in an optimal way to achieve a particular outcome.