A Mobile Phone Example with four Objectives

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Here’s a simple example of a model suitable for optimization using ClaferMoo. In order to analyze the model and explore the Pareto front in ClaferMoo Visualizer, click the link below:

Modeling the Optimization Problem

First, we need to define features with some quality attributes productivity, cost, batterylife, and security:

Next, we need to write a model of our product line with some variability regarding the features. We need to set the values for quality attributes of each feature.

We could define a specialization and extension like this (currently not supported)

Next, we define our product OptimalPhone.

The product is underspecified allowing for all possible valid combinations of features.

Finally, we define the following four optimization goals.

“Maximize total battery life”:

“Maximize total productivity”:

“Maximize total security”:

“Minimize total cost”:

In order to analyze the model and explore the Pareto front in ClaferMoo Visualizer, click the link below:

Comparing existing products

Engineers may want to compare the existing product variants (e.g., currently in production) with the optimal variants available in the new version of the product line (e.g., after the feature LTE has been added).

For example, consider an existing product MyOldPhone which has an older version of Bluetooth, 20EDR, and no WiFi, LTE, nor USB. Here is the configuration of that product in Clafer notation:

MyOldPhone : MobilePhone 
    [ Bluetooth20EDR ]
    [ no LTE ]
    [ no WiFi ]
    [ no USB ]
    [ LiBattery1150 ]

In order to load that configuration into the visualizer

1. Download the instance data file corresponding to the above instance specification,
2. In Visualizer, open that file in the Inputs view and click on the button Add Instances.

• The visualizer will load this configuration and show it alongside the optimal products as a square.

Now, you may proceed with some exploration. For example,

1. Select the existing variant 17 and the closest optimal variant 2.

• The visualizer will show the differences in the view Comparison

2. Observe that changing the feature Bluetooth20EDR to Bluetooth21EDR would make the product optimal
3. Set the upper bound for cost to 120 in the view Objectives

• The cost 120 is the largest acceptable in the market segment
• The visualizer only shows variants costing less or equal to 120

4. Select the best variant 16 for comparison

• Observe that by increasing cost by just 7, we can obtain a far superior variant which includes the latest Bluetooth40, LTE, and USB but no Wifi.