Optimization Rules
By default, QAD provides optimization options as two sets of rules:
Linear Rule
The system proportionately distributes the remaining open capacity among the PO lines of the pickup sheets in order to maximize the overall capacity, in weight or volume.
The approach is to increase the quantities to eliminate the open capacity as much as possible. In doing this, an item may be moved from one pickup sheet to another.
Important: Discrete PO lines are not included in the optimization process because quantities are often part of a formal approval process. If these lines fall within the selection criteria, they are added to the pickup sheet before the system performs optimization on supplier schedule lines.
The system performs these steps when optimizing with the linear rule:
1 Determines summarized totals from initial pickup sheet calculations:
• Total Capacity
• Current Load
• Open Capacity
2 Processes each order line in the current pickup sheets.
Note: If the same order line is on multiple pickup sheets, the system summarizes line weight and volume before calculating the proportion.
3 Determines whether there are future requirements on the supplier schedule to pull onto the pickup sheet for optimization.
Note: If there are no future requirements on the supplier schedule, the system places this supplier schedule on the pickup sheet without modifying the quantity.
4 Performs optimization steps:
a Calculates the proportion of the order line weight to the current load.
b Multiplies the proportion against Open Capacity. This will be the additional load.
c Summarizes additional load and current load for the order line.
d Determines whether this new load exceeds the Total Capacity of the pickup sheets. This typically occurs on the last order line as a result of rounding up of the previous lines.
If necessary, the system subtracts the difference between the new load and the Total Capacity and reduces the new load by this difference.
e Converts new order line load to order line units.
f Reconverts order line units into load, since the load may change if the units were rounded up.
5 Adds newly calculated quantity and load to the new pickup sheet(s).
Note: It may be necessary to split the quantity and load over multiple pickup sheets.
ABC Rule
This rule program is provided mainly as a sample to be used for your own custom programming.
If you use it as-is, the system proportionately distributes the open capacity over all of the items with the same ABC classification code. If this process still leaves open capacity, the system uses open capacity for items with the next-lowest ABC classification.
If an item has no classification in Item Master—that is, the field is blank or contains a value other than A, B, or C—the item sorts to the bottom after the C items.
Important: Discrete PO lines are not included in the optimization process because quantities are often part of a formal approval process. If these lines fall within the selection criteria, they are added to the pickup sheet before the system performs optimization on supplier schedule lines.