Importance

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Abstract

A computer-based system (10) for aggregating and scheduling product batches (50) includes a batch aggregation engine (20) that allocates one or more product demands (40) to one or more product batches (50) having suggested sizes and suggested starting times. The batch aggregation engine (20) communicates to a scheduling engine (30) the suggested batch sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback (26) relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times to assist the scheduling engine (30) in scheduling a start time for each product batch (50). The system (10) may also include a scheduling engine (30) coupled to the batch aggregation engine (20) that receives the suggested sizes, suggested starting times, and feedback (26) from the batch aggregation engine (20). The scheduling engine (30) schedules a starting time for one or more of the batches (50) according to the suggested sizes, suggested starting times, and feedback (26) received from the batch aggregation engine (20). The scheduling engine (30) also communicates the scheduled starting times and feedback (36) relating to the scheduled starting times to the batch aggregation engine (20) to assist the batch aggregation engine (20) in allocating the demands (40) to the batches (50). The batch aggregation engine (20) and the scheduling engine (30) may communicate their respective outputs (22, 32) to each other in an iterative cycle until they have collaboratively reached a sufficiently optimal batch aggregation and scheduling solution or until a predetermined number of iterations has been reached.

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First Claim