SMARTAPS: Tool-augmented LLMs for Operations Management
This addresses the problem of expensive APS customization for supply chain planners, offering a more accessible solution, though it appears incremental as it applies existing LLM and tool-augmentation methods to a specific domain.
The paper tackles the high cost and inaccessibility of advanced planning systems (APS) for operations management by introducing SmartAPS, a conversational system using a tool-augmented LLM that provides an intuitive natural language interface for tasks like querying, counterfactual reasoning, and scenario analysis.
Large language models (LLMs) present intriguing opportunities to enhance user interaction with traditional algorithms and tools in real-world applications. An advanced planning system (APS) is a sophisticated software that leverages optimization to help operations planners create, interpret, and modify an operational plan. While highly beneficial, many customers are priced out of using an APS due to the ongoing costs of consultants responsible for customization and maintenance. To address the need for a more accessible APS expressed by supply chain planners, we present SmartAPS, a conversational system built on a tool-augmented LLM. Our system provides operations planners with an intuitive natural language chat interface, allowing them to query information, perform counterfactual reasoning, receive recommendations, and execute scenario analysis to better manage their operation. A short video demonstrating the system has been released: https://youtu.be/KtIrJjlDbyw