SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE OPTIMUM CONFIGURATION STRATEGY FOR SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLE DECISION OPTIONS

摘要

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for optimizing total costs over the stages of a network of interconnected stages. The method of the present invention includes receiving at least one data set for each of a plurality of interconnected stages, each data set corresponding to an option at the corresponding stage, each data set including a first cost and a second cost. The method further includes determining, based upon the at least one data set, an optimum series of options over a series of the stages by selecting a single option at each stage in the series of the stages that minimizes the sum of total costs over the series of the stages, wherein the total costs is a function of said at least one data set.