Knowledge-Based Software for Generating and Changing Plans

A methodology of computer-aided planning has been developed to (1) accelerate the generation of plans for activities within complex systems of personnel and equipment; (2) increase the quality of the plans thus generated; and (3) decrease the difficulty of predicting and responding to the effects of changes in plans, requirements, resources, and/or other constraints. Originally intended for application to planning of missions of the space shuttle and other spacecraft, the methodology could also be applied to strategic business planning, management of projects, general scheduling, and planning of manufacturing processes and systems.