Title: Constructive heuristics to the multi-period fixed charge transportation problem

Authors: N. Jawahar, N. Balaji

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625 015, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Krishna College of Engineering, Coimbatore 641 008, India

Abstract: This paper addresses a multi-period fixed charge transportation problem (MPFCTP), which includes transportation, inventories, and backlog. The objective is to determine the size of the shipments in each period, inventory at the end of each period, and backlog at the end of each period, so that, the total cost of them are minimised. Two approximate heuristics, one by relaxing the fixed cost, and the other by an equivalent variable cost are proposed and illustrated as a solution methodology to find the lower bound and approximate solutions. The capability of the proposed heuristics in handling the MPFCTP problem is analysed by comparing the approximate solutions with the lower bound value.

Keywords: transportation problems; constructive heuristics; multi-periods; fixed charges; inventories; backlogs; size determination; shipments; total cost; cost minimisation; fixed cost relaxation; variable costs; approximate solutions; lower bound values; business performance; SCM; supply chain management; operations research; engineering management; ICOREM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPSCM.2010.036163

International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling, 2010 Vol.2 No.2, pp.97 - 111

Published online: 25 Oct 2010 *

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