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Events

This table is used within the simulation-based experiments only (i.e., Simulation, Variation, Comparison, Safety Stock Estimation, and Risk Analysis). It is used to define events (applicable to customers, DCs and factories) that will affect the data of the scenario during runtime.

You can create:

  • Simple events, which are triggered according to the schedule you provide.
  • Chained events, which are triggered in sequences.
Column Description

Name

Name of the event.

Event Type

The type of the event, which defines an object's parameter that will change when the event occurs. The options refer to:

  • Facility state — when the event occurs, the site (or group of sites) specified in the Parameters column switches to the selected state (active or inactive).
  • Additional expenses — sets the size of other expenses that must be considered for a site or a group of sites. The specified value is expressed in the monetary unit, that is set in the Units dialog box of the anyLogistix settings.
  • Demand coefficient — when the event occurs, the customer's demand for all products is multiplied by the coefficient provided in the Parameters column.
  • Path state — when the event occurs, the path specified in the Parameters column switches to the selected state (active or inactive).

    Prior to setting up an event affecting a path you must navigate to the Paths table and provide the path's name in the Name column.

  • Production line state — when the event occurs, the production line of the specified product changes its state.
  • Fleet size — defines the number of vehicles a site will have in its fleet when the event is triggered.

Parameters

The value that is assigned to the parameter when the event occurs. The cell contains a dialog box with the event type's parameters.

The set of parameters differs for each event.

Occurrence Type

The event occurrence type, which defines when the event will occur.

  • Date — the event will occur on the specified date (specified in the Occurrence Time column).
  • Delay (days) — the event occurrence will be delayed for the number of days specified in the Occurrence Time column. The counting starts either from the moment the event is triggered (if the Trigger is set), or from the beginning of the experiment.
  • Random — the event will occur at random time within the experiment time frame. Note that the event occurrence probability is distributed uniformly throughout the experiment time frame.

    Events with Random occurrence type are generated differently for Simulation and Variation experiments:

    • Simulation experiments use fixed seed, which means that the model random number generator is initialized with the same value for each run and the events with Random occurrence type will occur at the exactly same moment in time during each simulation run.
    • Variation experiments use random seed, which allows you to perform several replications during each experiment iteration and receive different results after each run. For this reason, events with Random occurrence type will occur at different moments in time during each replication run.

Occurrence Time

The event occurrence time, which you set according to the event's Occurrence Type:

  • Date — the exact date, which you specify using the Date chooser. The date should fit into the experiment time frame, otherwise it will not occur.
  • Delay (days) — the delay value, in days, from the moment of triggering the event:
    • If no Trigger is set, it is the delay from the experiment start date and time.
    • If Trigger is set, it is the delay from the triggering date and time.

      For details on providing fixed or stochastic occurrence delay refer to this section.

  • Random — the period of time, within which the event will occur at random.

Trigger

A trigger is a condition that schedules an event. If an event is not triggered, it will not occur.

You can leave the value empty or select any of the previously created events:

  • If an empty value is selected, the event will be triggered when an experiment is started. It will then occur in accordance with its Occurrence Type.
  • If an event is selected, it will serve as a trigger. When a trigger occurs, the event will be scheduled for execution in accordance with its Occurrence Type. If a trigger does not occur for some reason, all events that refer to it will not be scheduled (and will not occur).

Probability

The probability value (between 0 and 1) of the current event to occur.

E.g. If the value is set to 0.5, the odds that the event will occur are 50/50.

Parameters of the events

The set of parameters differs for each event.

Facility state

  • Changes state to — defines the site's new state (active or inactive) when this event occurs. If the current site's state is open and you set this parameter to switch the state to open, nothing will happen.
    • Open — the site is active.
    • Temporary closed — the site is inactive. However, the object may remain open to complete the current order processing.
      e.g. The factory will stop receiving new orders, but it will proceed working until the last received order is completed. Other supply chain objects behave the same way.

      If you need to instantly close the factory at the required moment of time, please use the Production line state event type with its Suspend production parameter enabled.

  • Object — a site, a supplier, a customer, or a group the change of state applies to.

Additional expenses

  • Amount — defines the additional cost that will be incurred within the specified period of time only.
  • Site — DC or Factory the change of state will be applied to.

Demand coefficient

  • Coefficient — defines the multiplier that is applied to the customer's demand values for all products.
  • Customer — customer the multiplier is applied to.

Path state

  • Changes state to — defines is the path is available when this event occurs. If the current paths state is open and you set this parameter to switch the state to open, nothing will happen.
    • Open — the path is active.
    • Temporary closed — the path is inactive.
  • Path — the path the new state applies to.

    To have the required path in this drop-down list you should previously define a Name for it in the Paths table.

Production line state

  • Factory — the factory that is producing the required product.
  • Product — the product produced at the factory.
  • New state — the new state of the production line that is producing the required product:
    • Operating — the production line is active.
    • Off-line — the production line is not active, the incoming production orders are allowed.
    • Breakdown — the production line is not active, the incoming production orders are not allowed.
    • Shutdown — the production line is not active, the incoming production orders are not allowed, the product is not demanded, as if there is no such product.
  • Suspend production — [available only if production line is inactive] — if enabled, pauses production of all the currently processed products. If disabled (default state) the currently processed products will be instantly completed.

Fleet size

  • Site — the object owing the fleet.
  • Vehicle type — number of vehicles of this type will be changed in the fleet
  • New size — defines the new number of vehicles of the defined type in the fleet. If you set the new size to 0, the fleet will actually contain zero trucks.There will be no vehicle to send of this type within this fleet.

    Event won't work if the Quantity of vehicle types is set to 0.

Inactive objects on the map

An open site is a regular site.

When running a Simulation experiment, sites and customers that are currently inactive appear grayed out on the GIS map, while inactive paths are simply not displayed.

Hover your mouse over the screenshot below to observe the result of the triggered event:

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