Inventory routing problems in a context of vendor-managed inventory system with consignment stock and transshipment

The inventory routing problem involves the integration and the coordination of two components of the logistics value chain: the inventory management and the vehicle routing decisions. In fact, the aim is to jointly decide on the distribution tour, from a distribution centre to a set of locations, and on the inventory policy for each location. Although many research investigations show great interest in policies such as transshipment or dynamic routings on the distribution system performances, these approaches are often criticised in practice as being too restrictive. In this article, we consider the inventory routing framework in a supplier integration context, i.e. a vendor-managed inventory with a consignment stock policy. Under such framework, we show that the transshipment brings more benefits than the classical context. In particular, we consider the case of static routings and we numerically show that transshipment permits to better optimise the distribution tours and to improve the global performance of the supply network.     

Supply vessel planning under cost,environment and robustness considerations

Offshore oil and gas installations need reliable cargo deliveries. The vessels supplying these installations on a periodic basis are expensive and constitute a source of emissions of greenhouse gases. Incorporating vessel speed optimization into the supply vessel planning process may significantly reduce fuel consumption and hence emissions. In addition, speed optimization may yield cost reductions if the number of vessels used does not increase. A main uncertainty factor, especially in the winter season, is the weather conditions which impact sailing and service times. Cost minimization and the application of speed optimization strategies may have implications on the robustness of weekly supply vessel schedules since idle times in the schedules are reduced. We develop a simulation-optimization based methodology that considers costs, emissions and robustness in the generation of weekly supply vessel schedules. Results of analyses conducted on real instances show that robustness requirements may yield both increased emissions and costs in the winter season. However, depending on instance characteristics, different degrees of robustness can be incorporated with both costs and emissions reductions through speed optimization.     

基于改进的蚁群算法的复杂制造系统物流配送路径优化

为了对复杂系统中物流网络进行规划,在分析复杂制造系统物流网络特点的基础上,用多级有向图来对物流配 送问题进行建模。针对物流路径的流量和时间限制,以寻找满足约束条件的最小成本的路径为目标,利用改进的蚁群算 法对配送路径进行规划,最后运用MATLAB语言编程仿真。改进后的蚁群算法克服了一般蚁群算法的不足,提高了算 法的性能,可以解决复杂制造系统的物流网络配送路径优化问题。     

渝鄂湘黔交界民族地区经济联动机制探讨

为促进国家级连片贫困地区经济协调健康发展,武陵山经济协作区产生,但受体制机制约束,渝鄂湘黔交界民族地区经济联动存在一些深层次问题。只有从特殊区情出发,构建渝鄂湘黔交界民族地区经济联动机制,才能促进该地区经济协调健康发展。     

A multi-compartment vehicle routing problem arising in the collection of olive oil in Tunisia

We introduce, model and solve to optimality a rich multi-product, multi-period and multi-compartment vehicle routing problem with a required compartment cleaning activity. This real-life application arises in the olive oil collection process in Tunisia, where regional collection offices dispose of a fleet of vehicles to collect one or several grades of olive oil from a set of producers. For each grade, the quantity offered by a producer changes dynamically over the planning horizon. We first provide a mathematical formulation of the problem, along with a set of known and new valid inequalities. We then propose an exact branch-and-cut algorithm to solve the problem. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm on real data sets under different transportation scenarios to demonstrate to our industrial partner the advantages of using multi-compartment vehicles.     

供需未匹配的多车场多车型多货品可拆分取送货车辆路径问题

取送货车辆路径问题在多点调拨系统普遍存在,属于NP-hard问题。该问题研究通常需考虑车场数、车型种类、货品种类、客户服务次数等诸多因素,已有文献多假设客户间供需已匹配、单车场、单车型、单货品和取送货需求一次性满足,优化目标多设置为总路径最短。而从企业运营实践来看,运输方案不仅要规划客户间访问路径,还需进行客户间供需匹配;运输成本不仅与运距有关,还涉及运输货品的重量和派车成本;运输网络中多车场、多车型和多货品更加常见,且客户需求量往往大于车辆装载能力。因此,本文首次尝试基于"运距×运量"的车辆路径成本和基于额定吨位的固定派车成本之和最小为优化目标,建立同时考虑多车场、多车型、多货品、客户间供需未匹配和需求可拆分的取送货车辆路径问题模型,并设计基于大规模邻域搜索的迭代局部搜索求解算法。该算法采用基于运输效率提升的贪婪思想来快速构建高质量初始可行解,并通过引入四种移除算子、两种修复算子和车场车型调整优化策略形成大规模可行搜索邻域以增强全局寻优能力。基于18个文献算例和6个企业实例的数值实验结果表明：1）本文提出的算法在求解质量和求解效率方面均优于相关文献中的算法;2）相对人工调拨方案,本文设计的方案能够帮助企业节约33%的运输成本和21%的车次。本研究不仅可拓展取送货车辆路径问题现有理论,而且可为企业实际运营提供决策支持。     

A Novel Eigenvector Technique for Large Scale Combinatorial Problems in VLSI Layout

Modern integrated circuit design involves laying out circuits which consist of millions of switching elements or transistors. Due to the sheer complexity, optimizing the connectivity between transistors is a very difficult problem. How a circuit is interconnected is the single most important factor in performance criteria such as signal delay, power dissipation, circuit size and cost. These factors dictate that interconnections—wires, be made as short as possible. The wire–minimization problem is formulated as a sequence of discrete optimization subproblems. These problems are known to be NP-hard, hence they can only be solved approximately using meta-heuristics or linear programming techniques. Nevertheless, these methods are computationally expensive and the quality of solution depends to a great extent on an appropriate choice of starting configuration. A matrix reordering technique for solving very hard discrete optimization problems in Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) design which overcomes some of these shortcomings is proposed. In particular, the computational cost is reasonable—of the order of n ^1.4 running time.     

WSNs中基于协作通信的分簇路由算法研究

针对无线传感器网络数据信息传输可靠性,提出一种无线传感器网络中基于协作通信的分簇路由算法。该算法主要对分簇、簇间路由和簇内路由三个阶段进行了设计,依据信噪比寻找满足网络数据传输可靠性的最佳路由,实现源节点和目的节点之间的协作通信。仿真结果表明,无线传感器网络中基于协作通信的分簇路由算法能够有效地优化网络路径,提高频谱利用率,增强数据信息传输的可靠性。     

“3＋1”教学模式给高校带来的思考及启迪

随着市场经济的快速发展,高校建设与经济发展的关系愈来愈密切,为了实现＂走自主创新之路,建设创新型国家＂的发展战略,满足企业对学校在人才培养等方面提出的更高的要求,高校必须培养出具有创新型、宽口径的＂零适应期＂人才。＂3＋1＂教学模式是对人才培养模式的新尝试,它注重高校人才实践能力的发掘和培养。该模式与传统教学模式的主要区别在于,大学前3年完成本科的基本学习任务,大学第四年进行创新实践锻炼。文章以东北大学秦皇岛分校＂3＋1＂教学改革为例,展开讨论,探索一条具有特色的人才培养之路。     

Using GIS in Risk Analysis: A Case Study of Hazardous Waste Transport

This paper provides an illustration of how a geographic information system (GIS) can be used in risk analysis. It focuses on liquid hazardous waste transport and utilizes records archived by the London Waste Regulatory Authority. This data source provides information on the origin and destination of each waste stream, but not the route followed during transport. A GIS was therefore employed to predict the paths used, taking into account different routing criteria and characteristics of the available road network. Details were also assembled on population distribution and ground-water vulnerability, thus providing a basis for evaluating the potential consequences of a waste spillage during transport. Four routing scenarios were implemented to identify sections of road which consistently saw heavy traffic. These simulations also highlighted that some interventions could lead to risk tradeoffs rather than hazard mitigation. Many parts of the research would not have been possible without a GIS, and the study demonstrates the considerable potential of such software in environmental risk assessment and management.