A hybrid search approach in production-distribution planning problem in supply chain using multi-agent systems
by Abolfazl Kazemi; Mohammad Hossein Fazel Zarandi; Mahdi Azizmohammadi
International Journal of Operational Research (IJOR), Vol. 28, No. 4, 2017

Abstract: The production-distribution planning is one of the most important approaches to support global optimisation in supply chain management (SCM), and should be solved within the integrated structure. The production-distribution planning problem (PDPP) involves the determination of the best configuration regarding location, size, technology content and product range to achieve the firm's long-term goals. On the other hand, teams of autonomous agents (ATeams), cooperating by sharing solutions through a common memory, have been proposed as a means of solving combinatorial optimisation problems. In this paper a hybrid search approach is presented using an agent-based system by considering ATeams concept for solving the PDPP. For this purpose, three algorithms are provided to solve the PDPP: genetic algorithm (GA), tabu search (TS) and simulated annealing (SA). Then we combine these algorithms using a multi-agent system and an integrated solution algorithm is proposed. Finally, the proposed approach is compared against LINGO software. The obtained results reveal that the use of multi-agent system delivers better solutions to us.

Online publication date: Fri, 03-Mar-2017

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