Development and Analysis of Robust and Efficient Algorithms for Large Scale Production/Distribution Systems

这项拨款为大规模物流系统的分析提供资金。在这样的系统中，由一组部件组装而成的成品在分销到零售店之前，可以在不同的地点生产和储存。因此，物流系统包括供应商、制造商、仓库和零售店，以及在设施之间流动的原材料、在制品库存和成品。目标是协调生产、路线和装运时间，以尽量减少整个系统的成本，包括制造、库存和运输，同时满足所有需求。本研究的重点是采用两种运输方式的物流系统；私人车队，或货车载货运输船。在这两种情况下，研究的目标是了解最优解的潜在理论结构，并将其用于开发实用且高效的算法。如果成功，这项研究的结果将导致新算法的发展，这些算法是有效的，独立于特定环境和数据的可变性。也就是说，这些算法是鲁棒的；它们的设计目的是处理一般设置，而不是处理一组库问题。这些算法使实现基于优化的决策支持系统成为可能，该系统考虑到物流网络各个层次之间的相互作用，并利用供应链中丰富的可用信息。

9732795Simchi-Levi This grant provides funding for the analysis of large scale logistics systems. In such systems, finished products, which are assembled from a set of components, may be produced and stored in various locations prior to their distribution to retail outlets. Thus, the logistics system includes suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses and retail outlets as well as raw materials, work-in-process inventory and finished products that flow between the facilities. The objective is to coordinate production, routing and timing of shipment so as to minimize system-wide cost, including manufacturing, inventory and transportation, while satisfying all demands. The focus in this research is on logistics systems that employ two types of transportation modes; a private fleet, or Less Than Truck Load carriers. In both cases, the goal of the research is to understand the underlying theoretical structure of optimal solutions and utilize it in the development of practical and efficient algorithms. If successful, the results of this research will lead to the development of new algorithms that are effective,independent of the specific environment and the variability of the data. That is, these algorithms are robust; they are designed to handle a general setting rather than a set of library problems. These algorithms make it possible to implement optimization based decision support systems that take into account the interaction between the various levels of the logistics network, and utilize the wealth of available information in the supply chain.