Data-driven logistics and distribution planning: Emerging trends and pandemic-related challenges

在新冠肺炎疫情持续期间，及时分发从个人防护设备和疫苗到杂货等基本需求的关键物资，在拯救生命方面发挥了决定性作用。由于供应链面临中断、供应短缺和需求激增，仓库和分销网络未能充分应对。例如，加拿大政府很难向全国各地的一线工作人员分发个人防护设备和测试套件，不得不依赖亚马逊的履行中心及其合作伙伴的分销网络。同样，地球仪各地的电子商务巨头纷纷招聘工人，简化运营，以满足交付承诺，因为仓库因反复封锁和社交距离措施而难以应对突然激增的在线需求。拟议的研究计划侧重于通过调查大流行期间出现的产能、分销和仓储漏洞，建立供应链能力，以应对突发和严重的危机。它涉及供应链能力，以最大限度地提高准备程度，分销网络设计，以最大限度地减少风险，以及电子仓储效率，以提高响应能力。为提升供应链能力，我们建议善用现有政府及私营机构分销渠道的闲置产能，从而达致双重效益，既可在经济不景时为参与者带来收入，亦可对抗疫情蔓延。为了最佳分配有限的用品，如个人防护设备，我们提出了基于最小化感染风险措施的分配和分发策略。这需要建立复杂的模型，并对大流行病的进展进行适当的预测。为了提高电子商务和在线购物的响应能力，我们开发了用于仓储订单履行操作的创新分析工具。该研究计划将利用尖端的优化和数据分析技术，提供模型和解决方案，以提高供应链应对重大危机的响应能力和准备程度。两个关键因素促成了这一点。第一个是以行动计划的形式提前进行适当的规划，以汇集能力，第二个是优化分析工具来部署和管理资源。通过该计划培训的研究生将获得最新的数据分析和人工智能工具的专业知识，这将使他们能够在分销规划和电子商务运营中担任领导决策工作，这是加拿大经济的关键增长部门。

The timely distribution of critical supplies, from personal protective equipment and vaccines to basic needs such as groceries, has played a determining role in saving lives during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As supply chains faced disruptions, supply shortages and demand spikes, warehouses and distribution networks failed to respond adequately. For example, the Canadian government struggled to distribute personal protective equipment and test kits to frontline workers across the country and had to rely on Amazon's fulfillment centres and its partners' distribution networks. Similarly, e-commerce giants around the globe rushed to hire workers and to streamline operations to meet delivery promises, as warehouses suffered to handle the sudden surge in online demand due to repeated lockdowns and social distancing measures. The proposed research program focuses on building supply chain capabilities to combat a sudden and severe crisis by investigating capacity, distribution, and warehousing vulnerabilities that emerged during the pandemic. It addresses supply chain capacity to maximize readiness, distribution network design to minimize risk, and e-warehousing efficiency to increase responsiveness. To enhance supply chain capabilities, we propose to leverage spare capacity in existing government and private sector distribution channels, thus achieving the dual benefits of generating revenue for participants during an economic downturn and combatting the spread of the pandemic. To optimally allocate limited supplies such as personal protective equipment, we propose allocation and distribution strategies based on minimizing infection risk measures. This requires complex modelling with proper prediction of the pandemic progression. To enhance responsiveness in e-commerce and online shopping, we develop innovative analytics tools for order fulfillment operations in warehousing. Using cutting-edge optimization and data analytics techniques, the research program will provide models and solutions to improve the responsiveness and readiness of supply chains to handle a major crisis. Two key factors contribute to this. The first is proper planning ahead of time in the form of action plans to pool capabilities and the second is optimized analytics tools to deploy and manage resources. Graduate students trained through this program, will gain expertise in the latest data analytics and artificial intelligence tools, which will position them for leading decision-making jobs in distribution planning and e-commerce operations, a key growth sector of the Canadian economy.