LP-TransportationPlanner : optimisation of transportation planning  

LP-TransportationPlanner optimises transport-planning (both supply and distribution) while taking into account such constraints as quality of service and utilisation of sites. There is also a version around messenger services.

It uses Mathematical Programming for its solution with the aid of a solver, such as IBM Ilog Cplex or FICO XPRESS-MP.

Input data

The following data is required in order to model logistics networks:
• site list (suppliers, factories, customers, platforms) with locations, opening times, loading and unloading times and other related times (factory input/output times, etc.)
• list of flows to be dispatched over the selected period, each with a starting point and destination, a quantity and delivery lead-time
• cost models (whether linear, fixed costs and linear, or piecewise linear, in order to take into account base costs and additional costs incurred by delays)

Main features

For procurement planning, the program will suggest for a given area (e.g. Europe) the best global choices for the supply of goods to plants using certain basic logistics:

•  direct delivery (S-P): via a large-capacity lorry from Supplier (S) to Plant (P)
• group delivery (S1-S2-P): loading of products from supplier 1 (S1), then completion of loading at supplier 2 (S2) then delivery to the plant (P)
• cross-docking: (S-PF) then (PF-P): a collection of several suppliers (S) in an area then delivery to a platform (PF) then delivery to the plant (P)

In distribution planning, the best choices are calculated for such as:

• a direct delivery to a single large client
• a delivery circuit, in other words, delivery to several clients from one plant
• cross-docking deliveries: grouping flows of several clients to a platform for local distribution, then delivery circuits from that platform

Results

The main sets of results available consist of the following:

• a list of routes taken by each flow (routing)
• a list of hauls with list of flows transported and percentage of storage capacity required
• platform activity
• economic results and associated statistics (total costs and their breakdown) 

Examples of completed projects: Air France Cargo

To learn more about LP-TransportationPlanner's possibilities, contact us for a demonstration.