Shipment Consolidation and Synchronization of Inbound-Outbound Supply Chain Flows

进出供应链流程的装运整合和同步

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-06207
• 负责人: Bookbinder, James
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=681668
• 关键词: Shipment; Consolidation; Synchronization; Inbound; Outbound

A set of suppliers each furnish one or more products to a group of retailers. Direct shipment, from each origin to every destination, is often inefficient. We study, therefore, the distribution consolidation problem, in which products from multiple origins to the various destinations will be transported via a consolidation terminal. The latter is termed “node O” of the supply chain.**** As in industry, the flows in this many-to-many supply chain (many suppliers, many retailers) are coordinated by a 3PL (third party logistics provider). We will develop an optimization model, and several extensions, to synchronize these supply-chain flows.**** The 3PL does not operate its own transportation assets. Rather, it acts as a broker, to arrange shipments via public carriers, of the goods from each supplier that are ordered by each retailer. Based on demand forecasts for the products, the 3PL commits (signs contracts) for a number of “transportation options.” Each such supplier option is a combination of a capacity and an arrival time at the consolidation center O. Similarly, customer transportation options each have a given capacity and time of dispatch from O. Naturally, every option has an associated cost.**** The demands for each product can be estimated, but because of randomness in those demands, the amount of required transportation capacity and its timing are uncertain. We will thus model this situation as a two-stage stochastic programming problem. The first stage decisions are the assignment of shipments, inbound to O and outbound from there, to respective transportation options. When the actual demands become known, the second stage decisions involve assignment of loads to spot-market carriers, to the degree necessary.**** We will develop an efficient solution algorithm for this problem. Building on already-existing relationships with a supplier and a 3PL, we will refine the basic model as above, and implement it at one or more partner firms. The team of student researchers and I will then expand the applicability of the model in years 2-5. Among the extensions are the inclusion of demand forecasting within the model; the revision of those forecasts as actual demands of early periods become known; and adaptation and use of the model in a “rolling time horizon” (rather than a fixed, static time period).**** Theoretical contributions of our proposed research:**** Enhancing the above as a multi-product solution of the shipment-consolidation problem**** An extension to Vendor Managed Inventory, in which the 3PL manages the stocks of certain products at particular retailers**** The inclusion of shipment consolidation within the theory of location modelling. (How many consolidation terminals should there be, and where should they be located?)**** This research program will train 3 PhD, 3 MASc. and 5 UG. They will gain experience in optimization modeling and software, and will be co-authors of research publications.*********

一组供应商，每个供应商向一组零售商提供一种或多种产品。从每个原产地到每个目的地的直接运输往往效率低下。因此，我们研究的分销整合问题，其中产品从多个来源的各个目的地将通过一个整合终端。后者被称为供应链的“节点O”。 与工业一样，这种多对多供应链（许多供应商，许多零售商）中的流动由第三方物流提供商（3 PL）协调。我们将开发一个优化模型和几个扩展，以同步这些供应链流程。 第三方物流不经营自己的运输资产。相反，它充当经纪人，通过公共承运人安排每个零售商订购的每个供应商的货物的运输。根据对产品的需求预测，第三方物流承诺（签署合同）一些“运输选项”。每个这样的供应商选项是在合并中心O的能力和到达时间的组合。类似地，每个客户运输选项都具有给定的容量和从O.当然，每个选项都有相关的成本。 每种产品的需求量都是可以估计的，但由于这些需求量的随机性，所需的运输能力及其时间是不确定的。因此，我们将这种情况建模为两阶段随机规划问题。第一阶段的决策是分配货物，入站到O和出站从那里，以各自的运输选项。当实际的需求变得明确，第二阶段的决策涉及分配负载现货市场承运人，必要的程度。 我们将为这个问题开发一个有效的解决算法。基于与供应商和第三方物流的现有关系，我们将改进上述基本模型，并在一个或多个合作伙伴公司实施。然后，我和学生研究人员团队将在第2-5年扩展该模型的适用性。这些扩展包括：在模型中纳入需求预测;在了解早期实际需求时修订这些预测;在“滚动时间范围”（而不是固定的静态时间段）中调整和使用模型。 本研究的理论贡献：* 加强上述工作，将其作为装运-集运问题的多产品解决方案 * 供应商管理库存的扩展，其中第三方物流管理特定零售商的某些产品的库存 * 在选址模型理论中包含货物合并。(How应该有许多整合终端，它们应该位于何处？）* 本研究计划将培养3名博士，3名硕士。5个UG。他们将获得优化建模和软件方面的经验，并将成为研究出版物的共同作者。