Predictive performance monitoring of material handling systems using the performance spectrum

Predictive performance analysis is crucial for supporting operational processes. Prediction is challenging when cases are not isolated but influence each other by competing for resources (spaces, machines, operators). The so-called performance spectrum maps a variety of performance-related measures within and across cases over time. We propose a novel prediction approach that uses the performance spectrum for feature selection and extraction to pose machine learning problems used for performance prediction in non-isolated cases. Although the approach is general, we focus on material handling systems as a primary example. We report on a feasibility study conducted for the material handling systems of a major European airport. The results show that the use of the performance spectrum enables much better predictions than baseline approaches.