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Explore Page

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Bryony Coombs

In this article, you will learn the basic functionalities of the Explore page in ALICE Core. The Explore page is where you can harness the power of ALICE's optimization engine to optioneer different scenarios. The results are populated as dots in a multi-dot graph (with x, y axes), where each dot represents a unique solution with its own Gantt schedule and its own set of analytics.

The key topics covered here are:

Think of the Explore page as the place where you ask ALICE all your questions related to your project. Some examples are: What is the impact of my schedule if...

  1. The workforce limit on my project is 300?
  2. Have more or less equipment than originally planned?
  3. There is a limited number of concrete trucks onsite?
  4. There is a material shortage that results in a different material installation method with lower production rate?
  5. There is a spatial constraint that needs to be recognized in multiple work areas?

These questions serve only to highlight the range of questions that can be modeled and simulated in ALICE. To learn more about example use cases like the ones above and how to implement them into your project, see the Use Cases section.

 

Explore Page Interface

There are no restrictions to how many scenarios you can run at a time.

In the Explore page, users can run different project scenarios (schedules) and compare cost, time, and other metrics. On the left side is the Scenario List. On the right side is the Solution Graph, and each dot that appears represents a fully resource and cost loaded schedule with its own analytics. Follow the interactive walk-through to get familiar with the Explore page interface.

 

How to Create a Scenario

For a more hands-on experience, navigate through the player for an interactive walk-through, or if you prefer a more detailed approach, scroll down for a step-by-step guide:

 

Create New Scenarios:

  1. To start creating scenarios in ALICE Core, click Re-schedule on the Plan page to check the feasibility of the schedule
  2. If no warnings are received, click Solution to go to the Explore page, where scenarios can be created.
  3. On the Explore page, click + Create New Scenario to open the scenario settings
  4. Enter the scenario name and let ALICE generate the scenario description based on the parameters you've set, or turn off the toggle to add the scenario description manually.
  5. Modify optimization presets settings or use defaults: minimize overall constraint tardiness → minimize project duration → minimize number of crews.
  6. Adjust the resource settings according to scenario requirements
  7. Click Run Scenario to start the scheduling process 
  8. A new scenario will appear in the Scenarios list on the upper left
  9. ALICE will generate one or multiple schedules (dots) based on the number of constraints implemented in the project. Dots will start appearing in 1-2 minutes and all dots will appear within 10 minutes if using the standard solution run-time.
  10. Click on the dot to open the scenario summary and review schedule details. You can click Analyze solution to open the Gantt chart.

 

Optimization Levers to Pull when Running a Scenario

The table below is a list of levers that the user can adjust. The user can adjust multiple levers at a time for each scenario run. 

Crews Equipment Materials Rates Milestones
Available crews Available equipment Available material Production rates Change milestone constraint types and constraint dates
Workforce per crew Hourly cost of equipment Unit cost of material Quantities can also be assigned as production rates Change task constraint types and constraint dates (task will only appear if there is a constraint assigned on Plan page)
Cost of crew   Consumable or Reusable Material    
Calendar shifts for crews  
Daily workforce limit

 

To change the logic in the underlying plan, the user needs to jump back to the plan page before running the scenarios in the Explore page.

 

How to Compare Solutions

ALICE allows users to compare the solutions to get a better understanding of their main differences. With “Compare Solutions,” users can compare:

  • Solution Metrics
  • Solution Resource Parameters: including resource cost and utilization
  • Detailed Comparison of two or more solutions

For a more hands-on experience, navigate through the player for an interactive walk-through, or if you prefer a more detailed approach, scroll down for a step-by-step guide:

To activate the “Compare Solution” function:

  1. Select the first solution on the Explore page and tick the Compare box.
  2. Select the second solution for comparison to the first and tick the Compare box.
    1. Tip: it is possible to compare more than 2 solutions at the same time.
  3. Use the Overview tab to see metrics and parameters for both solutions.
  4. Click on Detailed Comparison / Details to view an in-depth comparison of the two solutions.
  5. Review detailed comparison of both schedules, where the primary schedule is highlighted in bright red and blue, while the secondary schedule is represented in light pink.
  6. Click the arrows in the bottom to set the secondary schedule as the primary one.
  7. Review the Days Variance columns clearly indicate the precise number of days associated with either acceleration or delay.

Note: The reason for why certain activities start earlier or are delayed can be found on the Analyze page by reviewing the drivers, predecessors, and successors. 

How to Customize the Chart Axes

By default the Explore page will plot all ALICE-generated solutions on an X and Y graph, with X as calendar days duration and Y as total cost. Users can customize the X and Y axis to visually compare schedule options using the metrics that matter to them.

Use the Axes menus above the solutions graph to customize your view. Your settings will be automatically saved and shown the next time you open the project.

To automatically see the axis combination with the largest distribution between schedules, click the perpendicular arrow icon to the right of the drop-downs. This helps you to quickly understand how the schedules differ the most and find the right one.

 

Supported metrics for the X axis:

  • Calendar days - default
  • Working days
  • Project end date (solution start date + project duration)

Supported metrics for the Y axis:

  • Cost (learn more about cost)
    • Total cost - default
    • Total direct cost
    • Total idle cost
    • Total indirect cost
    • Direct equipment cost
    • Direct labor cost
    • Direct material cost
    • Idle equipment cost
    • Idle labor cost
  • Overall crew utilization
  • Critical tasks (%) (tasks on critical path / incomplete tasks)
  • Longest path tasks (%) (tasks on longest path / incomplete tasks)
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