ALICE uses artificial intelligence to search through millions of possibilities to resolve all the constraints for the project. It will then showcase the best solutions in a graphical plot on the Explore page.
In the graphical depiction of the algorithm below, you can see the robot at Cell A-1 (starting point of the search). Its destination is Cell E-5 (best possible schedule). From Cell A-1, the robot will try going to Cells A-2, B-1, and B-2 and decide which of the 3 paths are the best. The robot will continue trying millions of iterations to resolve all constraints and to find the optimal schedule within 10 minutes. By default, ALICE will prioritize the solutions as follows:
- Priority #1: optimize for duration (earliest completion date)
- Priority #2: optimize for lowest required availability of crews (resource leveling)
Advanced users: Default priorities can be changed and added
Another good analogy to depict what ALICE is doing behind the scenes is through the image below. If your project is a scrambled up Rubik’s Cube (loaded with various planning parameters, constraints, and objectives), then ALICE’s AI engine is working behind the scenes to unscramble them all. The output is a set of solutions that best satisfies the project’s planning parameters, constraints, and objectives.