This project involved the application of artificial intelligence to increase satellite efficiencies and system performance. Powell was convinced that the tools he was developing would also be useful closer to home. He began to model the satellites as micro-economic systems where he was optimizing the performance of the system in the presence of conflicting constraints. Powell knew system dynamic approaches were revolutionizing supply chain management, but he had an even higher vision. He realized that far more complex problems involving mobile service inefficiencies could be addressed using these algorithms.
Algorithms are mathematical, problem-solving procedures.
He decided to focus on ones similar to what he had used in developing autonomous satellite command and control systems. Global Economic Optimization Putting his vision into action, Powell began working with a colleague, Mark Lane. Together, they developed algorithms for what they termed Service Chain Optimization. Through their research, they determined that their algorithms could dramatically improve service delivery operations by considering a variety of critical factors such as routing, appointment times, employee compensation plans, resource availability, skills, inventory, tasks, customer preferences, and others. In addition, they determined that these technologies could be applied to a wide variety of economic optimization problems within and between enterprises and marketplaces.