A forward and reverse logistics shipment planning model

Many supply chains contain both forward and reverse logistics flows where forwarders are often asked to manage forward and reverse logistics activities in a cost-efficient manner. Reverse logistics jobs are different from forward logistics jobs, apart from the physical movement directions, and they have different logistics service requirements that usually require special facility setups. The choice of reverse logistics centres is also an important cost saving factor in a supply chain network. We consider cost saving activities through combining transportation activities and logistics activities in forward and reverse logistics jobs. A mixed 0–1 LP model is proposed to solve the shipment planning problem and the choice of reverse logistics centre. Managerial issues in implementation are discussed in an illustrative case.     

Modeling reverse logistic tasks within closed-loop supply chains: An example from the automotive industry

In this contribution, the peculiarities of establishing a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) are presented, based on an example considering the end-of-life vehicle (ELV) treatment in Germany. Different design options for a CLSC are put up, concentrating on how reverse material flows can be handled with regard to reintegrate them into their genuine supply chains. Reverse logistics aspects are modeled with vehicle routing planning. Introducing a problem-tailored algorithm, results of several CLSC scenarios are discussed which are based on real case data, depicting measures from German ELV stakeholders.     

Logistics cost sharing in supply chains involving a third-party logistics provider

In many cases, end customers are sensitive to a product’s logistics service level which is provided by a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, therefore, the continuous improvement of the logistics service is imperative and valuable. However, the problem is that improving the logistics service benefits all of them, but is costly to only the 3PL provider. The 3PL provider is not willing to do this. Sharing the logistics cost is one solution to this problem. This study investigates cost sharing in two kinds of supply chains, i.e., one manufacturer-one 3PL provider-one retailer supply chain and two manufacturers-one 3PL provider-one retailer supply chain. Two types of cost sharing mechanisms, i.e., decentralized cost sharing mechanisms and centralized cost sharing mechanisms, are explored. Decentralized cost sharing mechanisms are proposed as contracts that chain members separately decide their cost sharing portions to optimize their own profits, ignoring the collective impacts of their decisions on the channel as a whole. Centralized cost sharing mechanisms are in the situation that chain members negotiate their cost sharing portions so that their profits are the shares of the entire supply chain’s profit, implying that the supply chain is coordinated perfectly. This study aims to analyse how cost sharing mechanisms affect supply chain performance and under what conditions chain members are willing to engage in cost sharing mechanisms. Conditions necessary for cost sharing mechanisms to achieve win-win outcomes are identified.     

Modeling reverse logistics process in the agro-industrial sector: The case of the palm oil supply chain

As today’s consumers are more and more concerned with the environmental impacts of products and services they buy, enterprises have been more and more concerned with “green operations”. One of the key aspects of green logistics management is reverse logistics. This paper shows how the potential of managing reverse logistics flows can be implemented in the agro-industrial sector. As an example, the palm oil supply chain is considered. This study is carried out under the focus of the “closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) framework” in which forward and backward product flows are considered simultaneously. A mathematical model is proposed in order to represent the dynamic interaction between flows. The objective function considers energy, cost and economic profits. Different implementation scenarios of recovery processes are proposed and interactions between direct and reverse flows in the chain are evaluated. Results are analyzed using proper statistical tools, showing that the simultaneous analysis of direct and reverse flows positively impact the net economic profits in this complex supply chain of the agro-industrial sector.     

逆向物流企业绩效决策与判定——基于主因子TOPSIS和DEA超效率模型的分析

逆向物流企业绩效不但关系到供需双方企业在经济全球化和资源短缺状态下的市场竞争能力,而且也关系到双方企业环境社会责任的管理水平。TOPSIS分析法作为一种离散的多目标决策方法,已经在许多领域取得了成功的应用,本文采用主成分分析和TOPSIS(逼近理想解法)相结合的组合评价法,建立了逆向物流企业绩效评价与决策的主因子TOPSIS模型,在此基础上运用DEA超效率模型,对样本逆向物流企业的经营效率进行分析,并对分析结果进行相对效率判定。研究结果表明,样本逆向物流企业的经营效率总体上较高,但各逆向物流企业存在不同的效率问题,也存在不同的改进方向。     

The combined manpower planning and preventive maintenance strategies by aggregate planning for the service division of vending machines

This paper presents a mathematical model of aggregate planning for the service division of vending machines, which determines its workforce size and the preventive maintenance level that may affect the failure rate. The unique aspect of this problem is that it exhibits two types of failures requiring different repair and preventive maintenance. The practice is to divide the service division into two groups, within which there are hierarchies according to these types of failures, and in each group, there are full-time workers with annual contracts and temporary workers hired only during the peak season. A case study based on actual operational data demonstrates how effective the introduced model and the policy are in reducing the total cost and improving the quality of service, and thus enhancing the overall system performance of the service division. We perform sensitivity analysis on key parameters, which helps us change maintenance strategies under diverse operating situations.     

Design of intermodal logistics networks with hub delays

In an intermodal hub network, cost benefits can be achieved through the use of intermodal shipments and the economies of scale due to consolidation of flows at the hubs. However, due to limited resources at the logistics hubs, shipment delays may affect the service performance. In this research hub operations are modeled as a GI/G/1 queuing network and the shipments as multiple job classes with deterministic routings. By integrating the hub operation queuing model and the hub location-allocation model, the effect of limited hub resources on the design of intermodal logistics networks under service time requirements is investigated. The managerial insights gained from a study of 25-city road-rail intermodal logistics network show that the level of available hub resources significantly affects the logistics network structure in terms of number and location of hubs, total network costs, choice of single-hub and inter-hub shipments and service performance.     

Modeling and analysis of an auction-based logistics market

We consider a logistics spot market where the transportation orders from a number of firms are matched with two types of carriers through a reverse auction. In the spot market, local carriers compete with in-transit carriers that have lower costs. In order to analyze the effects of implementing a logistics spot market on these three parties: firms, local carriers, and in-transit carriers and also the effects of various system parameters, we develop a two-stage stochastic model. We first model the auction in a static setting and determine the expected auction price based on the number of carriers engaging in the auction and their cost distributions. We then develop a continuous-time Markov chain model to evaluate the performance of the system in a dynamic setting with random arrivals and possible abandonment of orders and carriers. By combining these two models, we evaluate the performance measures such as the expected auction price, price paid to the carriers, distribution of orders between local and in-transit carriers, and expected number of carriers and orders waiting at the logistics center in the long run. We present analytical and computational results related to the performance of the system and discuss operation of such a logistics spot market in Turkey.     

Combined DEMATEL technique with hybrid MCDM methods for creating the aspired intelligent global manufacturing & logistics systems

The concept of globalization has been prosperous in the past decades while manufacturing as well as logistics have already become one of the most significant issues in the globalization era. However, while modern globalized firms are leveraging both global manufacturing resources as well as logistics systems for pursuing higher quality, lower cost as well as product differentiation, how to evaluate, selecting an appropriate global manufacturing strategy by considering issues from both aspects of global manufacturing as well as logistics has become one of the most critical and difficult issues. Moreover, how the chosen intertwined global manufacturing as well as logistics system is to be optimized so that the aspired level of the global manufacturing system can be achieved have few been addressed. Thus, this research aims to resolve the above mentioned global manufacturing and logistics strategy selection as well as system reconfiguration issue. A Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique based novel multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method with Analytic Network Process (ANP), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) as well as VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) will be proposed for selecting and re-configuring the aspired global manufacturing and logistics system. An empirical study based on the global manufacturing and logistics system design of a semiconductor company will be provided for verifying the effectiveness of this proposed methodology.     

连续模糊数OWA算子在物流选址中的运用

物流中心的分布对现代物流活动有很大的影响,物流中心合理的选址能够减少货物运输费用,大大降低运营成本,从而提高企业竞争力.本文在连续模糊有序加权算子的基础上,提出一种新的处理模糊数据信息方法,同时在专家权重无法确定的情况下,建立了一种新的基于离差最小的目标规划模型来集结专家群体的不同偏好,并将其运用在物流选址中,该方法避...     

Alliance or no alliance—Bargaining power in competing reverse supply chains

This work investigates how bargaining power affects negotiations between manufacturers and reverse logistics providers in reverse supply chains under government intervention using a novel three-stage reverse supply chain model for two scenarios, a reverse logistics provider alliance and no reverse logistics provider alliance. Utilizing the asymmetric Nash bargaining game, this work seeks equilibrium negotiation solutions. Analytical results indicate that the reverse logistics provider alliance increases the bargaining power of reverse logistics providers when negotiating with a manufacturer for a profitable recycled-component supply contract; however, manufacturer profits are often reduced. Particularly in the case of an recycled-component vender-dominated market, a reverse logistics alliance with extreme bargaining power may cause a counter-profit effect that results in the decreases of profits for all players involved, including buyers (i.e., manufacturers) and allied recycled-component venders (i.e., reverse logistics providers). Additional managerial insights are provided for discussion.     

Logistics scheduling with batching and transportation

This paper studies a general two-stage scheduling problem, in which jobs of different importance are processed by one first-stage processor and then, in the second stage, the completed jobs need to be batch delivered to various pre-specified destinations in one of a number of available transportation modes. Our objective is to minimize the sum of weighted job delivery time and total transportation cost. Since this problem involves not only the traditional performance measurement, such as weighted completion time, but also transportation arrangement and cost, key factors in logistics management, we thus call this problem logistics scheduling with batching and transportation (LSBT) problem.     

基于仓单质押融资的物流企业与银行的演化博弈分析

物流企业与银行之间的良好合作关系是物流金融业务继续发展的前提和基础。以仓单质押融资业务为例,运用演化博弈理论对物流企业与银行之间的监督包庇问题进行了分析,构建复制动态方程和运用动态相位图分析群体策略的演化过程及结果,为建立良好的合作关系提供理论依据。分析结果表明:该动态系统的演化方向受到博弈支付矩阵以及系统的初始状态的影响。银行监督成本、银行的收益损失、物流企业的包庇成本和物流企业的罚金是影响演化结果的关键性因素。通过外部力量的加入,可促使系统演化至(不包庇,不监督)这一期望演化稳定策略。     

托运人联盟下的订单组合及车货调配问题研究

中小型企业的快速发展使得如何有效利用其物流资源、降低其物流成本成为一个亟需解决的问题。本文基于运输联盟的角度,建立了以最小化总成本为优化目标,综合考虑各运输需求时间窗、运输量等因素的车货调度模型。而后,提出了3种时间窗处理策略,设计了粒子群算法对上述模型进行求解,并通过算例对模型和算法的有效性进行了分析。算例结果表明,该模型一方面能够显著降低物流总成本,另一方面可有效节约使用车辆数。因此,本文研究对降低社会物流成本、整合社会物流资源具有一定的理论意义。     

Routing strategies for integrating forward distribution and reverse collection

Due to the significant growth in the demand for logistics services and the ongoing trend towards the outsourcing of logistics activities, logistics service providers have concurrently gained a significant profit-making opportunity and faced the unprecedented challenge of surviving in the midst of increasingly fierce market competition. This research thus aims to propose routing strategies that optimally integrate forward distribution and reverse collection to help logistics service providers reduce their operating costs when providing transportation services, and thus improve their market competitive power. The integrated routing problem is formulated as the mixed pickup-delivery asymmetric traveling salesman path problem. The problem is NP-hard and new in the literature. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to first model the problem and then develop an efficient and effective heuristic solution algorithm to the problem.     

带时间窗的三维装载物流配送优化方法研究

针对城市物流配送优化研究在客户服务时间窗和货物装载方式合理结合方面存在的不足,考虑物流配送车厢货物装载方式与客户访问序列相关的特征对车厢空间进行合理的区域划分。首先,构建了包含配送中心的固定成本、配送车辆的运输成本、维修成本、租赁成本和违反时间窗惩罚成本的物流运营成本最小化和配送车辆空间利用率最大化的双目标优化模型;然后,提出一种结合遗传算法(GA)全局搜索能力和禁忌搜索算法(TS)局部搜索能力的GA-TS混合算法求解模型;最后,结合重庆市某配送中心的三维装载物流配送实例数据进行了优化计算,实验结果给出了带时间窗的三维装载物流配送路径优化方案,并进行了不同车厢空间分区模式下平均装载率、物流运营成本和车辆使用数的比较分析。研究表明,当客户需求货物种类数与车辆的空间区域划分数相等且按货物类型进行区域划分时,物流运营成本最小,配送车辆使用数最少和车辆平均装载率最高。     

Disaster preparedness in humanitarian logistics: A collaborative approach for resource management in floods

The logistical deployment of resources to provide relief to disaster victims and the appropriate planning of these activities are critical to reduce the suffering caused. Disaster management attracts many organisations working alongside each other and sharing resources to cope with an emergency. Consequently, successful operations rely heavily on the collaboration of different organisations. Despite this, there is little research considering the appropriate management of resources from multiple organisations, and none optimising the number of actors required to avoid shortages or convergence.This research introduces a disaster preparedness system based on a combination of multi-objective optimisation and geographical information systems to aid multi-organisational decision-making. A cartographic model is used to avoid the selection of floodable facilities, informing a bi-objective optimisation model used to determine the location of emergency facilities, stock prepositioning, resource allocation and relief distribution, along with the number of actors required to perform these activities.The real conditions of the flood of 2013 in Acapulco, Mexico, provided evidence of the inability of any single organisation to cope with the situation independently. Moreover, data collected showed the unavailability of enough resources to manage a disaster of that magnitude at the time. The results highlighted that the number of government organisations deployed to handle the situation was excessive, leading to high cost without achieving the best possible level of satisfaction. The system proposed showed the potential to achieve better performance in terms of cost and level of service than the approach currently employed by the authorities.     

考虑退货不确定性的多层次多站点逆向物流网络选址优化研究

在退货量不确定情况下,为追求电商企业逆向物流网络成本最小化,建立了多层次多站点的混合整数规划模型。将目标区域进行网格化处理,通过球上距离公式计算相邻备选站点、不同层次备选点间的运输距离,使用蒙特卡罗法模拟退货量,并设计了双染色体编码的遗传算法进行求解。算例验证了模型算法的可行性,并且得出了逆向物流网络成本最小时,快递站点和退货处理中心的选址,快递站点的选址与退货量大小存在对应关系,研究客户退货量会使物流网络选址得到优化。     

An approximate algorithm for optimal logistics of heavy and variable size items

The objective of this article is to show the improvement reached by a ceramic logistics operator using an approximate algorithm for cargo of logistics of many different products with different weights and volumes. This algorithm, which has been used successfully for efficient assignment in logistics industry, where many different products in small but heavy items have to be distributed, can improve road transport efficiency for clients’ orders in the minimum time and with the least possible costs. The paper describes how it could increase efficiency in logistics in a ceramic industry (from the initiation of activities and over several days to the end of the job cycle) and similar heavy and small items production when time and costs play the role in function criterion. The algorithm is based on several priority rules. Real life application of the algorithm developed here has been running on a time horizon of more than one week. Though the results of the first steps (initial solution) of algorithm are not as good as the results of already known algorithms for transportation assignments, the algorithm is improving the value of criterion function rapidly, during further iterations dealing with the sequences of daily assignments, which is a major improvement in applications for such types of algorithms, known up until now. The algorithm was a well accepted development and seen as very beneficial to the ceramics industry.     

A multi-objective approach to supply chain visibility and risk

This paper investigates the twin effects of supply chain visibility (SCV) and supply chain risk (SCR) on supply chain performance. Operationally, SCV has been linked to the capability of sharing timely and accurate information on exogenous demand, quantity and location of inventory, transport related cost, and other logistics activities throughout an entire supply chain. Similarly, SCR can be viewed as the likelihood that an adverse event has occurred during a certain epoch within a supply chain and the associated consequences of that event which affects supply chain performance. Given the multi-faceted attributes of the decision making process which involves many stages, objectives, and stakeholders, it beckons research into this aspect of the supply chain to utilize a fuzzy multi-objective decision making approach to model SCV and SCR from an operational perspective. Hence, our model incorporates the objectives of SCV maximization, SCR minimization, and cost minimization under the constraints of budget, customer demand, production capacity, and supply availability. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Our results suggest that decision makers tend to mitigate SCR first then enhance SCV.