Collaborative Research: Container Scheduling - Complexity, Algorithms and Heuristics

该奖项的研究目标是设计和开发新的算法结构，以改善全球供应链中货物运输的规划和调度。研究方法将集中在两个研究方向之间的接口，在最近几年已经收到，分别，大量的关注，即研究已经完成的调度问题和研究已经完成的包装问题（包括背包问题和装箱问题）。关注调度方面以及包装方面的问题类是高度相关的，因为所有主要的运输方式（例如，集装箱船、卡车等）能力有限。如果成功的话，这项研究将产生新的算法结构和算法，这将导致更有效的货物流动，即，以更低的成本和更及时的运输。本研究项目的主要研究人员与工业供应链管理人员密切合作。更有效的供应链管理可能导致总运输成本降低1- 2%，并可能导致准时交货的改善。研究生将通过课堂教学和参与研究受益。

The research objectives of this award are the design and the development of new algorithmic structures that will improve on the planning and scheduling of the transport of goods in global supply chains. The research approach will focus on the interface between two research directions that in recent years have received, separately, an enormous amount of attention; namely research that has been done on scheduling problems and research that has been done on packing problems (including knapsack problems and bin-packing problems). A focus on problem classes with scheduling aspects as well as packing aspects is highly relevant since all major modes of transportation (e.g., container ships, trucks, etc.) have a finite capacity. If successful, this research will yield new algorithmic structures and heuristics that will result in a more efficient movement of goods, i.e., transportation at a lower cost and more timely. The principal investigators of this research project collaborate closely with supply chain managers in industry. More efficient management of the supply chains may lead to a total transportation cost reduction of 1-2 percent and may lead to improvements in on-time deliveries as well. Graduate students will benefit through classroom instruction and involvement with the research.