CAREER: Coordination of Production, Inventory and Transportation Across the Supply Chain

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖为基于优化的决策支持系统的开发提供资金，该系统对物流网络各级之间的交互进行建模，并利用改进的网络通信来提高物流效率。主要重点是设计和分析算法，将整个供应链的生产计划，库存控制和运输策略整合在一起，以降低整个系统的成本并增强服务。 不同的问题配方和最佳政策的理论特性的分析将被用来开发高效和强大的解决方案技术。 基于我们以前在分销规划问题的研究，一系列日益复杂的模型将被认为是占大规模的生产分销网络，非线性生产和运输成本，多式联运，能力约束，需求的不确定性。 这项研究将通过在物流和供应链管理课程中纳入案例研究，行业项目和软件工具，与教育计划完全整合。教育部分最突出的方面是准备案例研究，提供足够的技术信息，以进行严格的工程分析，同时向学生提供真实的，非结构化的情况，需要健全的业务评估。最后，该教育项目还包括课程设计、指导和推广活动，特别关注女性和少数民族。如果成功，该职业计划将改善大型物流网络的协调，并对组合优化理论、网络和算法以及教育做出重大贡献。 我们研究的影响是显而易见的：降低整个系统的成本，更可靠的交货时间和增强供应链服务。在教育方面，我们期望在工程教育中引入适当的案例研究，以激发批判性思维，并将实践经验带到课堂上。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award provides funding for the development of optimization-based decision support systems that model the interaction between various levels of the logistics network and utilize improved network communications to increase logistics efficiencies. The major focus is to design and analyze algorithms which integrate production plans, inventory control and transportation strategies across the supply chain to reduce system-wide costs and enhance service. Analysis of the theoretical properties of different problem formulations and optimal policies will be used to develop efficient and robust solution techniques. Building upon our previous research in distribution planning problems, a series of increasingly complex models will be considered to account for large-scale production-distribution networks, nonlinear production and transportation costs, multi-modal transportation, capacity constraints, and uncertainty in demand. This research will be fully integrated with the educational program through the incorporation of case studies, industry projects and software tools in Logistics and Supply Chain Management courses. The most salient aspect of the educational component is the preparation of case studies that provide sufficient technical information to allow rigorous engineering analysis, while presenting students with real, unstructured situations that require sound business assessment. Finally, the educational program also includes curriculum design, mentoring and outreach activities with particular focus on women and minorities.If successful, this career program will lead to improved coordination in large-scale logistics networks and significant contributions to the theory of combinatorial optimization, networks and algorithms, as well as to education. The impact of our research is clear: lower system-wide costs, more reliable delivery times and enhaced service in supply chains. On the educational front, we expect that the introduction of appropriate case studies to engineering education will be widely accepted to stimulate critical thinking and bring hands-on experience to the classroom.