Title: Optimal warehouse location and size in practice

Authors: Richard J. Caron; Tareq Oshan

Addresses: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada ' Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada

Abstract: Facility location decisions are crucial in supply chain network design because they affect a firm's profitability and success. We present an example of the optimal selection of the location and size of warehouses for a Canadian company with operations across the nation. We begin with a description of the optimisation model that will be used to determine the size and location of new warehouses as well as the allocation of branches to warehouse. We will then discuss the characteristics of the company and explain the challenges that were overcome in fitting the application to the model. We continue with an analysis of the solutions and follow that with a summary of lessons learned.

Keywords: supply chain network design? application? case study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2023.132819

International Journal of Operational Research, 2023 Vol.47 No.4, pp.547 - 557

Received: 04 Jul 2020
Accepted: 15 Jan 2021
Published online: 10 Aug 2023 *

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