Planning education for real-world stuff, the newsletter for problem solvers at scale. Welcome to the first edition. Enjoy! 

Edition 001 | February 2025

LLMs can't optimize schedules, but AI can

Blog post by Tom Cools - DevRel at Timefold

The avalanche of AI-generated content is endlessly entertaining, and things are getting more sophisticated by the day. Generative AI has brought AI to the people.

The intriguing thing is that the newest tools only scratch the surface of what AI can do. We all love how AI drafts emails, helps us conjure up lines of code, or even channel our inner poets, but when it comes to solving major real-world problems, we want to put other forms of AI in the limelight.

In this blog post, Tom does exactly that by discussing how Generative AI and old-school AI strengthen each other to make world-changing impact, despite their differences.

Timefold on stage

Three appearances, one goal: to free the world of wasteful scheduling. 

First stop: DEVWorld in Amsterdam, where our own Tom takes the mic to prove that while LLMs may not be able to handle planning, AI sure can.

Then we’re off to SuperNova, Europe's leading technology and innovation festival, where we've been selected to host not one, not two, but three talks. Geoffrey will dig into how Timefold schedules and routes thousands of vehicles, employees, and machinery worldwide, while our CEO Maarten will pitch Timefold to Europe's biggest tech investors. To top it off, they'll also team up for a session about co-founder chemistry.

How I built an AI company to save my open source project

Blog post by Geoffrey De Smet - CO-founder & CTO at Timefold

Exactly three years ago, Geoffrey thought his life’s work was over. Almost 2 decades of innovation, all for nothing. IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat pulled OptaPlanner’s plug. Today, the world-class technology that once seemed lost is thriving under a new name, Timefold. On the third anniversary of the setback that led to this moment, Geoffrey took the time to unfold how he turned the tables in a compelling blog post.

The challenges of Employee Shift Scheduling

Academy video by Tom Cools - DevRel at Timefold

Contracts, labor laws, skill requirements, pairing rules, health risks, logistical constraints... There are a lot of factors that complicate shift scheduling. In our Academy videos, we share our experiences solving some of the most complex planning problems out there. The complexity of shift scheduling can be somewhat surprising. Although scheduling employees might seem trivial at first, the numerous factors involved make it highly complex. Curious about the challenges on the path to the perfect schedule? Watch our Academy video and find out!

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Cheers, Timefold.