Optimal allocation of goods in a warehouse: Minimizing the order picking costs under real-life constraints

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Kutzelnigg
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Order Picking

scholarly journals Workforce Scheduling with Order-Picking Assignments in Distribution Facilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpan Rijal ◽  
Marco Bijvank ◽  
Asvin Goel ◽  
René de Koster
Keyword(s):  
Time Windows ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Order Picking ◽  
Planning Problem ◽  
Scheduling Problem ◽  
Workforce Scheduling ◽  
Solution Approach ◽  
Business Application ◽  
End Times

Scheduling the availability of order pickers is crucial for effective operations in a distribution facility with manual order pickers. When order-picking activities can only be performed in specific time windows, it is essential to jointly solve the order picker shift scheduling problem and the order picker planning problem of assigning and sequencing individual orders to order pickers. This requires decisions regarding the number of order pickers to schedule, shift start and end times, break times, as well as the assignment and timing of order-picking activities. We call this the order picker scheduling problem and present two formulations. A branch-and-price algorithm and a metaheuristic are developed to solve the problem. Numerical experiments illustrate that the metaheuristic finds near-optimal solutions at 80% shorter computation times. A case study at the largest supermarket chain in The Netherlands shows the applicability of the solution approach in a real-life business application. In particular, different shift structures are analyzed, and it is concluded that the retailer can increase the minimum compensated duration for employed workers from six hours to seven or eight hours while reducing the average labor cost with up to 5% savings when a 15-minute flexibility is implemented in the scheduling of break times.

scholarly journals Optimal Allocation Of Training Resources

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Nasreddine Saadouli
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Optimal Number ◽  
Training Facility ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Real Life Situation ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Training Resources

Training is a key task for ensuring that employees remain at a skill level that is conducive to productivity and to achieving the organizational objectives. However, training is a very costly investment. Hence, the resources allocated to training must be used wisely to balance the available resources to the goals sought. In this paper, a typical training decision is considered where the management needs to decide on assigning employees at various levels of the organization to various training programs. This is to be done with minimal interruption of the organizations operations while making sure that the different types of employees are assigned to training programs most related to their jobs. Additionally, there is a limit on the capacity of the training facility and the number of trainers which in turn limits the number of training courses that can be offered in any given week. A linear programming model is developed to determine the optimal number of trainees that should be chosen from each department and the optimal allocation of these trainees to the various training courses. The model is applied to a real life situation and the results show that there is an optimal allocation that meets and in most cases exceeds the desired objectives of management while maximizing the utilization of the training resources.

scholarly journals Defining a storage-assignment strategy for precedence-constrained order picking

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. M. Trindade ◽  
Paulo S. A. Sousa ◽  
Maria R. A. Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Assignment Problem ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Order Picking ◽  
Quadratic Assignment ◽  
Assignment Model ◽  
Storage Assignment ◽  
Storage Location ◽  
Assignment Strategy ◽  
Location Assignment ◽  
The Creation

This paper proposes a zero-one quadratic assignment model for dealing with the storage location assignment problem when there are weight constraints. Our analysis shows that operations can be improved using our model. When comparing the strategy currently used in a real-life company with the designed model, we found that the new placement of products allowed a reduction of up to 22% on the picking distance. This saving is higher than that achieved with the creation of density zones, a procedure commonly used to deal with weight constraints, according to the literature.

scholarly journals Conflict and Competition over Multi-Issues

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
António Osório
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Behavior ◽  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Final Outcome ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Allocation Mechanism ◽  
Single Issue ◽  
Common Value ◽  
Prize Award ◽  
Endogenous Selection

Abstract Real life disputes, negotiations and competitive situations involve multi-issue considerations in which the final outcome depends on the aggregated effort over several dimensions. We consider two allocation systems, the I-system, in which each issue is disputed and award independently, and the A-system, in which all issues are aggregate in a single prize award. In the A-system, we propose a contest success function that aggregates the individuals’ multi-issue efforts in a single outcome. Among other results, we found that the A-system tends to induce higher total effort than the I-system. The model is also able to reproduce a large set of strategic behaviors. For instance, under decreasing returns to effort, individuals maximize their payoffs by distributing effort over all issues, while under increasing returns to effort, individuals focus on a single issue. Hybrid equilibria, in which one individual focus in a single issue while the other individual diversifies effort over all issues, may also emerge when individuals hold different returns to effort. Strategic behavior is simultaneously influenced by the weight of each issue on the final outcome and by comparative advantages. Throughout the manuscript, we link our results with strategic behavior observed in electoral competition, i.e., “issue ownership”,“issue divergence/convergence”and“common value issues”. We expect that our findings will help researchers and practitioners to better understand the process of endogenous selection of issues in competitive contexts and to provide guidance in the implementation of the optimal allocation mechanism.

A peek in the micro-sized world: a review of design principles, engineering tools, and applications of engineered microbial community

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-409
Author(s):  
Baizhen Gao ◽  
Rushant Sabnis ◽  
Tommaso Costantini ◽  
Robert Jinkerson ◽  
Qing Sun
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
New Gene ◽  
Global Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Synthetic Microbial Communities

Microbial communities drive diverse processes that impact nearly everything on this planet, from global biogeochemical cycles to human health. Harnessing the power of these microorganisms could provide solutions to many of the challenges that face society. However, naturally occurring microbial communities are not optimized for anthropogenic use. An emerging area of research is focusing on engineering synthetic microbial communities to carry out predefined functions. Microbial community engineers are applying design principles like top-down and bottom-up approaches to create synthetic microbial communities having a myriad of real-life applications in health care, disease prevention, and environmental remediation. Multiple genetic engineering tools and delivery approaches can be used to ‘knock-in' new gene functions into microbial communities. A systematic study of the microbial interactions, community assembling principles, and engineering tools are necessary for us to understand the microbial community and to better utilize them. Continued analysis and effort are required to further the current and potential applications of synthetic microbial communities.

The Speech-Language Pathologist in the Public Schools: Preparation for Real Life Practices From the Perspective of a Speech-Language Pathology Program Coordinator

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
Francine Wenhardt
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Program Coordinator ◽  
Educational Preparation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
New Graduate ◽  
Language Pathology

Abstract The speech-language pathologist (SLP) working in the public schools has a wide variety of tasks. Educational preparation is not all that is needed to be an effective school-based SLP. As a SLP currently working in the capacity of a program coordinator, the author describes the skills required to fulfill the job requirements and responsibilities of the SLP in the school setting and advises the new graduate regarding the interview process and beginning a career in the public schools.

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