With most optimization projects, it is crucial to identify the relevant demand data, resources, constraints, costs, customer preferences, goals and solution metrics early in the process. A successful project generally requires an iterative process between optimization experts and business analysts and managers. ILOG's OPL-CPLEX development system helps make this process easier in several ways.

A model library provides quick starting points for consideration and the integrated development environment (IDE) facilitates project development over time. More importantly, OPL-CPLEX's new integration with ILOG ODM provides a way to generate an application prototype in minutes, allowing business users without formal training in operations research (OR) to participate in the model refinement process.

Iterative development with OPL-CPLEX and ODM makes it quicker to identify business and application requirements. Enlarge image (opens a new window).

With an application prototype, business users can review the entire model in a context that makes sense to them. Not only can users verify that all model inputs and outputs are correct, but they can help determine how the model should behave—how constraints should be relaxed, what explanations should be given and which model inputs should be exposed for modification in the scenario creation process.