Title: Multi-phase composite analytical model for integrated allocation-routing problem – application of blood bank logistics

Authors: P. Sivakumar, K. Ganesh, P. Parthiban

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vickram College of Engineering, Madurai 625001, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Manufacturing Industry Solutions Unit, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Mumbai 400079, Maharashtra, India. ' Department of Production Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, 620 015, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: The integrated problem of allocating and routing blood for a public and private health care system is addressed. We modelled the problem as multiple-vehicle, multi-depot, multi-criteria allocation-routing problem which is termed as integrated allocation-routing (IAR) problem. We propose a three-phase composite analytical model (CAM) to solve IAR problem for public sector blood banks and five-phase CAM for private sector blood banks. Models are developed based on the integration of analytic hierarchy process and mixed-integer linear programming model. Quality of both models is evaluated on randomly generated datasets and a real-life case study.

Keywords: AHP; analytical hierarchy process; public sector blood banks; private sector blood banks; logistics; IAR; integrated allocation routing problem; MILP; mixed integer linear programming model; healthcare systems; composite analytical models.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2008.023161

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2008 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.251 - 281

Published online: 12 Feb 2009 *

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