The deployment scheduling analysis tool (DSAT)

The deployment scheduling analysis tool is an analysis tool for studying military deployment scenarios. The tool has a user interface through which the user selects the deploying units, equipment, and their required delivery dates. The user also selects the ports (air, rail, and sea) through which the units will travel to get to the final destination. Finally, the user selects the transportation assets on which the units will travel and assigns those assets to the routes in the deployment network. The system schedules the equipment for deployment by creating individual equipment routings and then repetitively simulating the deployment to determine the deployment closure time and the maximum lateness (Lmax) of any unit. The equipment is scheduled to minimize the maximum lateness of all deploying units. Deployment information is formatted into various graphs and reports. Finally, the user can modify various aspects of the deployment scenario to conduct sensitivity analysis. A valuable option is a heuristic procedure to reassign transportation assets in an attempt to further reduce the deployment closure time and Lmax.