Quant link

Any quant is linked with other quants. The quant gets its supplies from them or delivers to them. Along the link travels a certain quantity of material. Additionally a link describes the dependencies of the two quants, for example minimum or maximum offset time. Quants and links form the quant network. This link type is called a quant link. Quant links may be added or deleted at any time, depending on the process of satisfying the given constraints. 

For the successors of a quant Q1 with quantity m given by all quant links to successors 11,. ..,1m the sum of out flowing quantities is the sum over 11,. ..,1m material factor x covered quantity. This must be smaller or equal to m. 

In the beginning there is a general loop to decide if more lot sizing procedures should be applied to the existing quant network to meet the constraint of the minimum batch sizes of products. Then the quant network is examined, free usable stocks and free quantities of quants are made available. The material balances of any quant are calculated and decisions are taken whether quants require further explosions of their BOM. Structures for a fast cycle checking, sorting of existing quants and quant links and forecast intervals are built up. A recalculation of the due dates for all quants - also the ones of orders - can be done if specified by the user. 

Local search make local changes to the solution and see whether there is an improvement of costs. Local changes might be changes of resource assignments, split or combine quants, add or remove links. 

There is a general operator available to reduce throughput times. This is done by adding artificial limits of perishability. Because of these limits some links in the quant network are not necessary any more (see Figure 4.10). So this operator works in three steps ... 

M. Metzger, R.M. Hewick, D.R. Steinbrink, G. Shaw, and et ai., Effects of N-linked carbohydrate on the in vivo properties of human GM-CSF. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, 1986. 51 (Pt 1) 685-92. 

Liu, Q., Hirono, S. and Moriguchi, I. (1992b). Application of Functional Link Net in QSAR. 2. QSAR for Activity Data Given by Ratings. Quant.Struct.-Act.Relat, 11,318-324. 

Manallack, D.T. and Livingstone, D.J. (1994). Limitations of Functional Link Nets as Applied to QSAR Data Analysis. Quant.Struct.-ActRelat, 13,18-21. 

Manne, R., The linked-diagram expansion of the ground state of a many-electron system A time-independent derivation, Int. J. Quant. Chem. Sll 175 (1977). A pedagogical article which presents a relatively simple proof of the linked cluster theorem. 

Manallack, D. T. and Livingstone, D. J. (1994) Limitations of functional-link nets as applied to QSAR data analysis. Quant. Struct. Act. Relat. 13, 18-21. 

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