Linear Optimization made practical with a convenient facility for "what if" analyzes.
- Existing levels of demand will often strain available production capacities and expanding the capacities will become increasingly more expensive.
- Physical and political factors will limit supplies of raw materials and fuels; and supplies may be subject to interruptions.
- The cost of energy, transportation, materials, labor, and other factors will continue to rise, often without warning, so that accepted tradeoffs between operating activities may change overnight.
WhatsOp is an economic planning system designed to be easy to use and easy to understand. It is completely self contained for use in a Windows PC planning environment. It is not the intention of WhatsOp to teach mathematical modelling, but to supplement math courses on the subject. WhatsOp is intended to be a reference review material in mathematical modelling via linear algebra., at the same time it gives the user a convenient easy way of comparing different scenarios or "what ifs".
UNIQUE CONCEPT OF MODELING:
WhatsOp uses a unique concept of linear optimization, which eliminates the need for a mathematician analyst to setup a planning model. The model in WhatsOp is not represented through mathematical equations and relations, (although the capability to do so is fully supported) but rather through a recipe like resource utilization where a product accumulates cost and value added as the product moves from production, distribution and the market place. This recipe like utilization of resources and/or materials, and the cost it accumulates is the input model for WhatsOp.
WhatsOp is being promoted to math professors and teachers as an after-the-course reference review material for their students. The idea is to keep them interested in optimizing options with resources as they move on to management. Business students and/or part-time users, are more likely, be interested in doing "what ifs" and not setting up linear equations.