Dedicated Transportation Subnetworks: Design, Analysis, and Insights

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Rajapakshe, Tharanga; Dawande, Milind; Gavirneni, Srinagesh; Sriskandarajah, Chelliah; Panchalavarapu, P. Rao
• 署名单位: State University System of Florida; University of Florida; University of Texas System; University of Texas Dallas; Cornell University; Texas A&M University System; Texas A&M University College Station; Mays Business School
• 刊物名称: PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1059-1478
• DOI: 10.1111/poms.12029
• 发表日期: 2014
• 页码: 138-159
• 关键词: transportation network; dedicated subnetwork; deadheading; lane-sharing; heuristics

摘要

A dedicated subnetwork (DSN) refers to a subset of lanes, with associated loads, in a shipper's transportation network, for which resourcestrucks, drivers, and other equipmentare exclusively assigned to accomplish shipping requirements. The resources assigned to a DSN are not shared with the rest of the shipper's network. Thus, a DSN is an autonomously operated subnetwork and, hence, can be subcontracted. We address a novel problem of extracting a DSN for outsourcing to one or more subcontractors, with the objective of maximizing the shipper's savings. In their pure form, the defining conditions of a DSN are often too restrictive to enable the extraction of a sizable subnetwork. We consider two notionsdeadheading and lane-sharingthat aid in improving the size of the DSN. We show that all the optimization problems involved are both strongly NP-hard and APX-hard, and demonstrate several polynomially solvable special cases arising from topological properties of the network and parametric relationships. Next, we develop a network-flow-based heuristic that provides near-optimal solutions to practical instances in reasonable time. Finally, using a test bed based on data obtained from a national 3PL company, we demonstrate the substantial monetary impact of subcontracting a DSN and offer useful managerial insights.