1. Vendor Optimizer Part of Radar/Space-Time

2. Main functions Determine a near-optimal set of orders
Suggest steps for converting the current set of orders into a better set
Elicit additional information about available vendors and their prices

3. User responsibilities
Modify the set of orders according to the system’s suggestions
Provide information in response to the system’s questions

4. Optimization steps Input Output Intermediate Results Old Orders
Schedule
Output
Vendors
and Costs
Resource Calc
Resource Optimizer
Vendor Chooser
Order
Diff
Utility Calc
Prioritized
Changes
Cost
Function
Resource
Functions
Pre-
Orders
New Orders
Order
Changes
Total Cost
Intermediate Results

5. Inputs List of item types Mapping from item types into preferences
Cost function
Current schedule
Current total cost
Available vendors
Available items and their costs
Current orders
fully
specified
partially
all or none

6. Possible sources of data
Hand-coding before the tests
Automated extraction from the available (external) databases
Forced input through forms
Voluntary input through forms
Response to elicitation through forms
Natural-language processing

7. Inputs List of item types Mapping from item types into preferences
Cost function
Current schedule
Current total cost
Available vendors
Available items and their costs
Current orders
hand-coding
available
hand-coding
and elicitation
NL processing

8. Possible display easier No display of orders Simple text
Structured forms with text
Extension to Space-Time GUI
easier
nicer