A Multiperiod Vehicle Lease Planning for Urban Freight Consolidation Network

This paper considers a multiperiod vehicle lease planning problem for urban freight consolidation centers (UFCCs) in the urban freight transport network where short-term-leased and long-term-leased vehicles are hired together. The objective is to allocate the two kinds of leased vehicles optimally for direct transportation services from the associated origin node to the associated UFCC or from the associated UFCC to the associated destinations so as to satisfy a given set of period-to-period freight demands over a given planning horizon at total minimum vehicle allocation cost subject to demand-dependent transportation time restriction. The problem is formulated as an integer programming model and proven to be NP-hard in a strong sense. Thus, a Lagrangian heuristic is proposed to find a good solution efficiently. Numerical experiments show that the proposed algorithm finds good lower and upper bounds within reasonable time.

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A Theoretical Research Framework of Future Sustainable Urban Freight Transport for Smart Cities

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12051975 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1975 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zhangyuan He ◽

Hans-Dietrich Haasis

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Urban Development ◽

Research Methods ◽

Freight Transport ◽

Theoretical Research ◽

Research Framework ◽

Urban Freight ◽

Considerable Research ◽

Urban Freight Transport

This paper aims to construct a theoretical research framework for sustainable urban freight transport (SUFT) from the perspectives of future urban development and distribution innovations, and appropriate research methods are discussed, as well. Urban freight transport plays a critical role in the promotion of sustainable and livable cities. According to the literature review, considerable research on SUFT has focused on resolving some specific problems with a short-term perspective. The existence of an urban freight transport strategy is noted, which should be embedded in an overall sustainable development strategy with a long-term perspective (approximately 20–30 years). Nevertheless, considerable research has paid scant attention to the long-term planning of SUFT. Given this, this paper contributes to the closure of this gap. First, this paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) to highlight published papers involving foresight research within the past 16 years (2003–2018). This step contributes to the understanding of research methods that can be used in foresight research. Subsequently, this paper discusses the impacts of both urban development and distribution innovations on future SUFT, and these effects are used to select the appropriate methods to construct the theoretical research framework. Finally, the theoretical research framework of long-term planning for SUFT is developed on the basis of two future perspectives: the trends of urban development and the application of urban distribution innovations. This framework is intended to provide an approach to designing sustainable urban logistics, taking into account urban development and distribution innovations.

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Production Planning Problem of a Two-Level Supply Chain with Production-Time-Dependent Products

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11209687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (20) ◽

pp. 9687

Author(s):

Jun-Hee Han ◽

Ju-Yong Lee ◽

Bongjoo Jeong

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Production Planning ◽

Programming Model ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Mixed Integer ◽

Planning Problem ◽

Manufacturing Plant ◽

Production Lines ◽

Multiple Production ◽

Production Planning Problem

This study considers a production planning problem with a two-level supply chain consisting of multiple suppliers and a manufacturing plant. Each supplier that consists of multiple production lines can produce several types of semi-finished products, and the manufacturing plant produces the finished products using the semi-finished products from the suppliers to meet dynamic demands. In the suppliers, different types of semi-finished products can be produced in the same batch, and products in the same batch can only be started simultaneously (at the same time) even if they complete at different times. The purpose of this study is to determine the selection of suppliers and their production lines for the production of semi-finished products for each period of a given planning horizon, and the objective is to minimize total costs associated with the supply chain during the whole planning horizon. To solve this problem, we suggest a mixed integer programming model and a heuristic algorithm. To verify performance of the algorithm, a series of tests are conducted on a number of instances, and the results are presented.

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Sequential Model for Long-Term Planning of Building Renewal and Capital Improvement

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13179575 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 9575

Author(s):

Robert Bucoń ◽

Agata Czarnigowska

Keyword(s):

Programming Model ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Mixed Integer ◽

Building Performance ◽

Optimal Sequence ◽

Specific Order ◽

Improvement Measures ◽

Mutually Independent

The paper puts forward a mixed integer linear programming model to support the long-term planning and budgeting for renewal and capital improvements of residential buildings, i.e., to select the optimal sequence of repair and improvement actions over a predefined planning horizon. The input is provided by the evaluation of the building performance according to a set of criteria. Then a set of possible repairs, replacements and improvements needs to be proposed together with the estimates of their cost and benefits; the latter are expressed by increments of building performance ratings according to predefined criteria. The renewal and modernization measures are not mutually independent: at least some of them are complementary and should be carried out in a specific order. The optimization problem was to define the order of renewal/improvement measures resulting with the highest benefits available within the budget, or to achieve the required levels of building performance at the lowest cost. A unique feature of the model is the approach to the constraints on sequential relationships between the measures and to their selection. The model can be used to construct long-term renewal and capital improvement plans.

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IDENTIFYING DOMINANT STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN FREIGHT POLICIES: A Q-ANALYSIS ON URBAN CONSOLIDATION CENTRES IN THE NETHERLANDS

Transport ◽

10.3846/16484142.2017.1350996 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 867-880 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ron van Duin ◽

Marijn Slabbekoorn ◽

Lori Tavasszy ◽

Hans Quak

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Q Methodology ◽

Service Providers ◽

Freight Transport ◽

Public And Private ◽

Urban Freight ◽

Stakeholder Perspectives ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Urban Freight Transport ◽

Freight Consolidation

Cities’ sustainability strategies seem to aim at the reduction of the negative impacts of urban freight transport. In the past decades, many public and private initiatives have struggled to gain broad stakeholder support and thus remain viable. Researchers and practitioners have only recently recognised stakeholder acceptance of urban freight solutions as a challenge. A first step in achieving convergence is to understand stakeholder needs, preferences and viewpoints. This paper proposes and applies an approach to identify the main stakeholder perspectives in the domain of urban freight transport. We use Q-methodology, which originates from social sciences and psychology, to record subjective positions and identify the dominant ones. We explain the approach, operationalise the method for the domain of urban freight transport and apply it to stakeholder groups in the Netherlands. We find four dominant perspectives, reflecting how stakeholders normally take positions in the urban freight dialogue. Important findings concern disparities between industry associations and some of their membership, divergent views about the expected role of public administration, and the observation that the behaviour of shippers and Logistics Service Providers (LSP) appears to be inconsistent with their beliefs. All these factors together can act as a barrier to the implementation of urban freight consolidation concepts. The Q-methodology is valuable for eliciting perspectives in urban freight and is a promising tool to facilitate stakeholder dialogue and, eventually, convergence.

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A Strategic Agricultural Production Model with Risk and Return Considerations

Agricultural and Resource Economics Review ◽

10.1017/s1068280500000393 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 37-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rhonda L. Aull-Hyde ◽

Solomon Tadesse

Keyword(s):

Strategic Planning ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Financial Risk ◽

Programming Model ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Production Model ◽

Risk And Return ◽

Predetermined Level ◽

Broiler Farm

Decision support systems are generally geared to short-term tactical decision making. As an alternative, this paper develops a mathematical programming model to evaluate long-term strategic alternatives in the context of farm-level agricultural production where a broiler farm considers long-term implications of diversification into commercial aquaculture. The model considers a ten-year strategic planning horizon, incorporates financial risk and return considerations, and accommodates capacity variations. Results indicate that a diversification strategy significantly increases farm profitability over a strategic planning horizon while simultaneously maintaining financial risk below a predetermined tolerance level and return on investment above a predetermined level.

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Decision support system for the long-term city metabolism planning problem

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2015.167 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 542-550 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. S. Morley ◽

D. Vitorino ◽

K. Behzadian ◽

R. Ugarelli ◽

Z. Kapelan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Support System ◽

User Interfaces ◽

Performance Metrics ◽

Real Life ◽

Water System ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Planning Problem

A decision support system (DSS) tool for the assessment of intervention strategies (Alternatives) in an urban water system (UWS) with an integral simulation model called ‘WaterMet2’ is presented. The DSS permits the user to identify one or more optimal Alternatives over a fixed long-term planning horizon using performance metrics mapped to the TRUST sustainability criteria. The DSS exposes lists of in-built intervention options and system performance metrics for the user to compose new Alternatives. The quantitative metrics are calculated by the WaterMet2 model, and further qualitative or user-defined metrics may be specified by the user or by external tools feeding into the DSS. A multi-criteria decision analysis approach is employed within the DSS to compare the defined Alternatives and to rank them with respect to a pre-specified weighting scheme for different Scenarios. Two rich, interactive graphical user interfaces, one desktop and one web-based, are employed to assist with guiding the end user through the stages of defining the problem, evaluating and ranking Alternatives. This mechanism provides a useful tool for decision makers to compare different strategies for the planning of UWS with respect to multiple Scenarios. The efficacy of the DSS is demonstrated on a northern European case study inspired by a real-life UWS for a mixture of quantitative and qualitative criteria. The results demonstrate how the DSS, integrated with an UWS modelling approach, can be used to assist planners in meeting their long-term, strategic-level sustainability objectives.

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OPTIMAL MANPOWER PLANNING DECISION WITH SINGLE EMPLOYEE TYPE CONSIDERING MINIMAL EMPLOYMENT PERIOD CONSTRAINT

Asia Pacific Journal of Operational Research ◽

10.1142/s0217595910002776 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 27 (03) ◽

pp. 411-436 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

YONGJIAN LI ◽

JIAN CHEN ◽

XIAOQIANG CAI ◽

BENGSHENG TU

Keyword(s):

Programming Model ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Manpower Planning ◽

Planning Problem ◽

Setup Cost ◽

Related Cost ◽

Planning Decision ◽

Dynamic Programming Model ◽

Future Demands ◽

Dismissal Costs

In this paper, we investigate a manpower planning problem with single employee type over a long planning horizon. The dynamic demand for manpower must be fulfilled by allocating enough number of employees and each employee has a minimal employment period. A cost objective is concerned where the costs for every employee include salary, recruitment and dismissal costs, in particular, setup cost when recruitment activity occurs in one period. In this paper we first formulate the problem as a dynamic programming model. Then we derive properties of the problem and propose an algorithm to minimize the total manpower-related cost over the entire planning horizon. Next we discuss the influence on the optimal states of changing some parameters and provide the sensitivity analysis of the optimal states concerning the future demands. Finally, we report computational results to illustrate the correctness of the approach and to analyze the influence on the optimal states of changing parameters or changing future demands.

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Fleet Planning Decision-Making: Two-Stage Optimization with Slot Purchase

Journal of Optimization ◽

10.1155/2016/8089794 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lay Eng Teoh ◽

Hooi Ling Khoo

Keyword(s):

Programming Model ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Profit Margin ◽

Planning Problem ◽

Illustrative Case ◽

Two Stage ◽

Fleet Planning ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Planning Decision ◽

Service Frequency

Essentially, strategic fleet planning is vital for airlines to yield a higher profit margin while providing a desired service frequency to meet stochastic demand. In contrast to most studies that did not consider slot purchase which would affect the service frequency determination of airlines, this paper proposes a novel approach to solve the fleet planning problem subject to various operational constraints. A two-stage fleet planning model is formulated in which the first stage selects the individual operating route that requires slot purchase for network expansions while the second stage, in the form of probabilistic dynamic programming model, determines the quantity and type of aircraft (with the corresponding service frequency) to meet the demand profitably. By analyzing an illustrative case study (with 38 international routes), the results show that the incorporation of slot purchase in fleet planning is beneficial to airlines in achieving economic and social sustainability. The developed model is practically viable for airlines not only to provide a better service quality (via a higher service frequency) to meet more demand but also to obtain a higher revenue and profit margin, by making an optimal slot purchase and fleet planning decision throughout the long-term planning horizon.

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