Constraint Envelope Scheduling (CES)

New technology is available to provide a state-of-the-art approach to optimizing complex scheduling and resource allocation problems in aviation operations, avionics scheduling, space mission planning and the process industry.

Honeywell's Constraint Envelope Scheduling (CES) technology integrates constraint programming and traditional mathematical optimization to model and solve scheduling problems involving complex, continuous dynamics.

In aviation operations, for example, the system optimizes the generation of fleet, crew and maintenance schedules, facilitating the creation of a minimally disruptive, feasible solution. For space mission planning, CES planning, scheduling and resource management tools are expected to provide faster development of mission plans, analysis of resource failure impacts on system functionality and mission success, and increased mission replanning efficiency.

In general, CES users can expect to see an immediate impact in improved scheduling decisions, ability to respond rapidly to changing conditions, reduction in capital investments from identifying potential capacity bottlenecks and optimizing equipment upgrades and other supply chain efficiencies.

The CES technology is based on the patented SAFEbus® avionics bus communications scheduling tool originally developed for the Boeing 777 widebody aircraft. Since that time, the technology has been broadly demonstrated in other applications including a refinery-wide scheduling problem involving 13,000 variables and 27,000 constraints. Additional prototypes have been developed for discrete and batch manufacturing, airline maintenance operations and satellite ground stations.

Other promising applications include transportation, logistics and re-entrant processes such as semiconductor manufacturing.

The current CES implementation supports flexible integration with legacy systems and data formats.