Activity Rules Configuration

Version 1.1

Introduction

Activity Rules are a powerful feature of ALAS that allow you to define complex relationships between Regions of Interest (ROIs) and activities. While basic ROI configuration handles simple scenarios, Activity Rules enable precise attribution of time when operators move between different work areas or perform tasks that involve multiple regions simultaneously.

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to create, manage, and troubleshoot Activity Rules to ensure accurate time attribution in your labor analysis.

Understanding Activity Rules

What Are Activity Rules?

Activity Rules determine how time is attributed when specific combinations of ROIs are active or inactive. They allow you to:

• Define logical relationships between multiple ROIs using AND/OR operators
• Override default priority-based time attribution
• Create complex conditions that better reflect actual work patterns
• Target specific activities to receive time credit when rule conditions are met

When to Use Activity Rules

Consider implementing Activity Rules when:

• An activity spans multiple physical areas that should be treated as one logical activity
• Specific combinations of active ROIs indicate distinct activities
• The default priority-based attribution doesn't accurately capture the workflow
• You need to handle edge cases where operators move between adjacent work areas

The Rule Builder Interface

Accessing the Rule Builder

1. Navigate to the Videos section in the main menu
2. Select your video from the Unprocessed Videos list
3. In the video configuration screen, navigate to the Activities tab
4. Select an activity from the list
5. Click on the Rules tab in the activity properties panel

Understanding the Rule Builder Components

The Rule Builder interface consists of several key elements:

• Default Rule: Automatically created for each activity to handle basic ROI attribution
• Custom Rules: User-defined rules that take precedence over the default rule
• Rule Components: Building blocks used to construct rule conditions:
  • ROI Components: References to specific ROIs
  • Operator Components: Logical operators (AND, OR) that define relationships
• Target Activity: The activity that will receive time credit when the rule is satisfied

Creating Basic Rules

The Default Rule

Each activity comes with a default rule that credits time when ANY of its assigned ROIs are active:

Credit time to [Activity] when [ROI 1] OR [ROI 2] OR [ROI 3]...

This default rule is sufficient for simple scenarios but can be customized or supplemented with more specific rules.

Creating Your First Custom Rule

To create a basic custom rule:

1. In the Rule Builder, click Add Rule
2. A new rule will appear with empty components
3. Click Add Component to add your first ROI reference
4. Select an ROI from the dropdown list
5. Click Save Rule to apply the changes

This simple rule will credit time to the current activity when the specified ROI is active, regardless of ROI priorities.

Creating Advanced Rules

Using AND/OR Operators

To create rules with multiple conditions:

1. Add your first ROI component
2. Click Add Operator
3. Select either AND or OR from the dropdown
4. Click Add Component again
5. Select another ROI from the dropdown

The interpretation of this rule depends on the operator:

• With OR: The rule is satisfied if EITHER ROI is active
• With AND: The rule is satisfied only if BOTH ROIs are active simultaneously

Combining Multiple Operators

For complex scenarios, you can combine multiple operators:

1. Build the first part of your rule (e.g., [ROI 1] AND [ROI 2])
2. Add another operator (e.g., OR)
3. Add additional components (e.g., [ROI 3])

This creates logic like: "Credit time when ([ROI 1] AND [ROI 2]) OR [ROI 3]"

Setting Target Activities

By default, rules credit time to their parent activity, but you can redirect to different activities:

1. Create your rule components as usual
2. In the Target Activity dropdown, select a different activity
3. When this rule is satisfied, time will be credited to the selected target activity instead

This is particularly useful for complex workflows where the presence in certain ROIs should count toward a different activity than their assigned one.

Rule Evaluation and Precedence

How Rules Are Evaluated

ALAS evaluates activity rules in the following order:

1. Custom rules are evaluated first, in the order they appear in the list
2. The first satisfied custom rule determines the activity attribution
3. If no custom rules are satisfied, the default rule is evaluated
4. If the default rule is not satisfied, time is attributed based on ROI priorities

Rule Precedence and Ordering

The order of rules matters! To change rule precedence:

1. In the Rule Builder, locate the rule you want to reorder
2. Use the drag handle to move the rule up or down in the list
3. Higher rules in the list take precedence over lower rules

Best practice is to place more specific rules at the top, with more general rules lower in the list.

Advanced Rule Configuration

Grouping with Parentheses

For complex logical expressions, you can use grouping:

1. Create a rule with multiple components
2. Click the Group button for components that should be evaluated together
3. This creates a visual parenthesis in the rule builder

For example, you might create: "([ROI 1] OR [ROI 2]) AND [ROI 3]" to require ROI 3 plus either ROI 1 or ROI 2.

Handling Negation

To create rules that activate when an ROI is NOT active:

1. Add an ROI component
2. Click the Negate toggle for that component
3. The component will display with a "NOT" indicator

This allows for rules like: "Credit time when [ROI 1] is active AND [ROI 2] is NOT active"

Creating Mutual Exclusion

To ensure activities don't overlap when they shouldn't:

1. Create a rule for Activity A that includes NOT conditions for all ROIs in Activity B
2. Create a reciprocal rule for Activity B
3. This ensures that time is never double-counted between these activities

Rule Templates and Common Patterns

Sequential Work Pattern

For activities that follow a sequence:

Credit time to "Assembly Phase 1" when [Assembly Station 1] AND NOT [Assembly Station 2]
Credit time to "Assembly Phase 2" when [Assembly Station 2]

Shared Resource Pattern

When multiple stations use the same resources:

Credit time to "Material Preparation" when [Material Area] AND NOT ([Assembly Station 1] OR [Assembly Station 2])
Credit time to "Assembly" when [Assembly Station 1] OR [Assembly Station 2]

Helper Position Pattern

When one operator assists another:

Credit time to "Assembly Support" when [Assembly Area] AND [Support Tool Area]

Testing and Validating Rules

Previewing Rule Effects

To test your rules before processing:

1. Configure all your activities and rules
2. Click the Preview Rules button
3. Use the video player to navigate to different points in the video
4. The system will show which rules would be triggered at each point
5. This helps identify any logical issues before processing

Reviewing Rule Attribution

After processing, validate rule effectiveness:

1. Open the processed video from the Processed Videos list
2. Navigate to the Time Attribution tab
3. Review the breakdown of how time was attributed to each activity
4. Check for unexpected "Multiple Activities" or "Not at Workstation" time
5. Refine rules as needed based on these results

Troubleshooting Activity Rules

Common Rule Issues

Debugging Complex Rules

For complex rule issues:

1. Temporarily disable all custom rules except one
2. Test each rule in isolation to identify problematic ones
3. Rebuild complex rules step by step, testing at each stage
4. Use the rule visualization to verify logical structure
5. Consider breaking very complex rules into multiple simpler rules

Best Practices for Activity Rules

Rule Design Principles

• Specificity: Create rules that precisely target intended scenarios
• Clarity: Use descriptive names and logical structures that are easy to understand
• Modularity: Break complex logic into multiple targeted rules
• Completeness: Ensure rules cover all expected work scenarios
• Efficiency: Minimize rule complexity while achieving desired results

Documentation and Maintenance

For long-term success:

• Document the purpose and logic behind each custom rule
• Review and update rules when work processes change
• Create rule templates for common configurations
• Train new users on the logic behind your rule setup
• Periodically audit rule effectiveness using processed results

Conclusion

Activity Rules are a powerful tool for capturing the complexity of real-world workflows in ALAS. By mastering their configuration, you can achieve significantly more accurate and meaningful labor analysis results.

For additional assistance with Activity Rules configuration, contact our support team through the in-app support feature.

Remember: While it may be tempting to create very complex rules, sometimes multiple simple rules provide better clarity and maintainability. Start with the simplest rule structure that accomplishes your goal.