ABSTRACT
The need for computational speed and detailed estimates drove the development of a PC-based tool for deployment scheduling and analysis. Illingworth [5], then Trainor [13] initially developed the Deployment Scheduling Analysis Tool (DSAT). DSAT provides a flexible and rapid means for analysis of
deployments. It is quick and flexible enough to be used for sensitivity analysis of various aspects of the deployment scenario. At the same time, enough information concerning the deploying forces is retained that detailed equipment schedules (what equipment moves over which routes at which time) can also be analyzed. A visual basic (VB) graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates modeling of deployment scenarios and viewing of key outputs for analysis. User inputs, coupled with data drawn from military databases, provide the information needed to schedule the movement of equipment and cargo on transportation assets and deployment routes. A specially tailored job shop scheduling procedure [4,11,12] performs the scheduling. The user can invoke a heuristic procedure to move transportation assets between routes to affect improved schedules. The overall logic used in DSAT is represented in Figure 18.1 and detailed in the rest of this chapter. Section 18.2 introduces DSAT and presents the steps used to model a problem. Section 18.3 describes the heuristics used to create a deployment schedule and to determine an alternate transportation asset to route allocation. Section 18.4 discusses the various reports provided and the options available for sensitivity analysis. Section 18.5 presents conclusions.
