Planning personnel optimally

SISCOG, the software company specialized in solutions for the optimised planning and management of resources in transportation companies, challenged the “European Study Group with Industry” (ESGI) to improve its optimisation algorithm used to plan personnel in metro companies and railways.

During an event that lasted a week, mathematics students and teachers were defied to improve some already optimised duty plans currently obtained through the company’s CREWS product.

The initiative was a success and delivered two different approaches, one using Artificial Intelligent and another using Operations Research techniques. The outcome that interested the company was a component that may accelerate the computational optimization performance, which means that optimised duty plans may be achieved either more quickly or with better quality than they already are.

This will be reflected, for example, in more free time for planners, who may be dedicated to other issues, and enhanced capability to answer urgent staff re-planning needs.

SISCOG will now study in-depth and further work on the solution provided, with the intent of offering the market a more powerful optimisation capability that will allow transport companies to operate even more efficiently.

Companies such as the London Underground or Lisbon Metro, as well as renowned national railways such as the Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish, are already benefiting from SISCOG´s solutions in this field.

The ESGI program is intended to renovate and reinforce the links between Mathematics and Industry, and is part of the series of European Study Groups that count with the participation of several European experts.