Plenary Lecture

Reflective Simulation for On-Line Staff Scheduling: An Innovative Methodology in Distribution Logistics Industry Application

Prof. Ing. Roberto Revetria
Docente di Impianti Industriali e Meccanici
Italy
roberto.revetria@diptem.unige.it

Abstract: Simulation has proven to be very effective in supporting schedule evaluation for complex in several industrial application. In distribution logistics industry there is a clear relation among picking reduction time and profitability. The more the picking and kitting times are reduced the more orders can be accomplished in one shift resulting in an increase of the profitability rate. In the past the staff scheduling required for assign picking tasks to operators was executed at the beginning of the shift while today a continuous rescheduling activity have to be made in order to increase the response readiness to meet the replenishment takt times. Is not even a matter of scheduling performance the problem, since a schedule will never be respected, is more a matter of robustness of the planning. In such scenario simulation, and particularly distributed (HLA) modeling, can play a crucial role since it offer the possibility of quantitatively evaluate a planning performances when original planning scenario has changed. This simulation-in-the-loop decision making process can be effectively evaluate by simulating a decision support systems that has simulation on its internal logic: this is the case of the proposed reflective simulation model. The paper proposes an application of reflective simulation able to evaluate a on-line simulation-in-the-loop scheduling system.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
In 1991 he takes the Commercial School leaving diploma of Accountant and Estimator and then holds the role of administrator for “RPM snc di Revetria P&R Costruzioni Impianti Frigoriferi Industriali” Company. In 1997 he participates to ICAMES with the WOLVES project winning the Prize for the best algorithm about the Prisoner Dilemma “Bush-8”.
He gets the degree with honours in 1998 and wins the 4° Competition for Italian Navy Reserve Officer Cadet; in July 1999 he is appointed Acting Sublieutenant in the Naval Army Corps. From July 1998 to July 1999 he is attached to the Control and Testing Service Head Office (Capo Servizio Controllo e Collaudi) of the Military Maritime Arsenal of Taranto where he holds the role of Responsible for the on land bodies Control and Testing. During this period he develops a strong experience not only in management and testing of the Technical Plants (Desalination Plants, Frigorific Cells, Sewage Drainage Plants) and Civil Works (Building up of 3 lighthouses, re-engineering of the Artillery Maintenance Department (Settore Manutenzione Artiglierie), but also in testing of on Board Scaffolds and in re-organisation of the Control and Testing Service of the on Land Bodies, coordinating 15 persons. During 1998 he wins the Scholarship for the XIV Cycle Doctoral Program at the University of Parma - Faculty of Engineering which ends with success in October 2001 by getting the title of PHD. On December 20, 2000 he passes the exam for the Level D Project Manager IPMA Certificate. On November 2001 he wins the Competition for the role of Researcher at the University of Genoa where he takes service at the Department of Production Engineering. The personal experience achieved in the construction of computer-aided analysis models and tools brought him to develop complex software using multipurpose (C/C++, Java, Tcl/Tk, Python, Php, Fortran, Pascal, VBA) and dedicated (Automod, Simul8, ESL, GPSS/H, Arena, Witness) languages. Up today he has been working in the development of the mentioned software above all in the Windows, Linux and Mac environments by acquiring experience on the main applications and office automation packs. He makes use and develops models in virtual reality for the Virtual Design by exploiting also Web-Oriented graphic environments (Atmosphere, Java 3D, Blender, Vega Prime, Multigen-Creator). On March 2004 he wins the Competition for the role of Associated Professor at the University of Parma. He is, as well, Associate Director of the McLeod Institute of Simulation Science (MISS) - San Diego CA, USA.