Watchbill Generation by Algorithmic Optimization: A Constraint-Based Approach

Summary

Creating valid watchbills for naval operations is challenging. Large events involving multiple departments require coordinators to compile inputs manually, often using tools which cannot validate assignments. Manual validation is tedious, error-prone, and frequently results in watchbills being finalized just minutes before an evolution begins.

Problem

A watchbill assigns sailors to stations based on qualifications. Sailors often qualify for multiple stations, making valid assignments difficult to compute manually. Ensuring all constraints are satisfied under time pressure is labor-intensive and prone to error.

Solution

By modeling watchbill generation as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). Using a depth-first search with heuristics—including first-fail ordering, and iteration limits the algorithm efficiently assigns sailors to stations while respecting all qualification constraints.

Benefits

• Produces conflict-free, valid watchbills with minimal manual input
• Handles complex schedules in real-time
• Adaptable to future systems or watch team planning

Limitations & Future Work

The current implementation does not support generalized constraint functors. Future work will focus on developing a user-friendly interface for defining and applying constraints.

Conclusion

Automated, rule-aware watchbill generation increases efficiency, reduces errors, and ensures sailors’ time is spent on operational readiness rather than administrative tasks. Computational tools can reliably perform the heavy lifting, preserving both accuracy and human expertise.