Types of Time Window Violations

OptiFlow always minimizes the number of time window violations given a manual edit of the planner. Should there be any such violations present in your plan, they will be indicated by a clock icon.

There are two types of time window violations:

1. Lower bound: order is executed too early / driver starts too early

1. Upper bound: order is executed too late / driver starts too late

Example 1: three orders are executed a couple of minutes too early. This is a lower bound violation.

Example 2: the driver is planned to start 15 minutes earlier than allowed. This is also a lower bound violation.

Example 3: the driver will execute the order 5 minutes too late. This is an upper bound violation.

Default Violation Settings

By default, OptiFlow will never violate a lower bound and always choose to violate upper bounds instead. However, if the upper bound violation can be prevented by allowing a lower bound violation prior to that, OptiFlow will provide you with this insight. This is illustrated by the two scenario’s below:

Scenario 1:

The second order on vehicle 4 violates an upper bound, meaning it will be executed too late.

You may want to overrule this default setting by allowing a lower bound violation on the first order. To do so, edit the order by clicking on the box “Allow starting too early”.

Press “save”. You will then receive a notification in the top right corner of your screen to apply all changes. As a result the upper bound time violation of the second order has been resolved by allowing the first order to be executed too early.

Scenario 2:

The first order on vehicle 5 violates an upper bound, meaning it will be executed too late.

If you want to prevent this order from being executed too late, you will have to enable a lower bound violation for the driver enabling him/her to start earlier. To do so, edit the vehicle by clicking on the box “Allow starting too early”.

Press “save” and apply all changes.  As a result the upper bound time violation of the first order has been resolved by allowing the driver to start an hour earlier.