Transportation Problem Solving Device for End-to-End Distribution Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to optimally allocate time windows for end-to-end transportation, leading to suboptimal regional and inter-depot transportation plans, resulting in inefficient use of vehicles and increased costs due to fixed collection and delivery dates in regional transportation.
Innovation Solution
A transportation problem solving device that incorporates regional transportation into the inter-depot transportation model by adding a regional representative node, allowing for the computation of integrated transportation plans that optimize both regional and inter-depot transportation schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If separate solvers are used for regional transportation and inter-depot transportation problems, then each problem can be solved independently, but the overall end-to-end transportation optimization is compromised due to inability to optimally allocate time windows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the regional transportation problem and inter-depot transportation problem into a unified end-to-end transportation optimization framework. By integrating these previously separate problems, the system can optimally allocate time windows across the entire transportation chain from consignor to destination, eliminating the suboptimality caused by independent solving while maintaining manageable complexity through coordinated optimization.
2Ease of operation
If fixed collection and delivery dates are used in regional transportation, then scheduling is simplified, but vehicle utilization efficiency decreases and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from fixed collection and delivery dates to dynamic, flexible scheduling. By allowing collection and delivery dates to be optimized within time window constraints rather than being predetermined, the system can adapt vehicle routes and schedules to actual demand patterns, improving vehicle utilization efficiency and reducing transportation costs while maintaining scheduling control through the unified optimization framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A transportation problem solving device for solving a transportation problem to optimize the end-to-end physical distribution consisting of a regional transportation and an inter-depot transportation, comprising a transformation section for adding a regional representative node representing a plurality of collection and delivery spots belonging to a depot to a model of inter-depot transportation, and incorporating the regional transportation between each of the plurality of collection and delivery spots belonging to the depot and the depot into a part of the model of inter-depot transportation as the inter-depot transportation between the depot and the regional representative node, an inter-depot transportation computing section for solving the transportation problem, based on a transformation model in which the regional transportation is incorporated into the inter-depot transportation, and computing a transportation plan for each delivery order in an inter-depot transportation portion, when a plurality of transport requests are input, and an output section for outputting the transportation plan computed by the inter-depot transportation computing section.