SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE FOR FLEXIBLE PATH OPTIMIZATION

A flexible transportation optimization approach is described that can easily be implemented on multi-tiered computer systems and that does not unnecessarily consume processing and memory resources. On a database tier a data model is defined. The data model comprises master data including a state set with a plurality of states representative of physical sites or conditions of a physical entity, wherein each state is assigned to exactly one hierarchy level and wherein to each state zero, one or a plurality of states of lower hierarchy levels are assigned and a transition set with transitions from one state to a state on the same or on a different hierarchy level. On an application tier, a processor performs for at least one given source state and at least one given destination state, repeatedly steps of generating a graph having a plurality of states as vertices, transitions and hierarchical relationships among states as edges, and a cost function, and of subjecting the graph to a path optimization mechanism outputting multiple paths from the at least one source state to the at least one destination state that heuristically influence the generation of the succeeding graph, wherein the one or more solution paths are included in the paths generated during the last repetition.