Approaches to Enhance the Performance of Simheuristic Methods in the Optimisation of Multi-echelon Logistics Distribution Networks

,

• Publisher: Cuvillier Verlag
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN:
  9783736964259
• Print ISBN:
  9783736974258
• Edition: 1

Management of logistics distribution networks is a challenging task. Decision-makers rely on logistics assistance systems that recommend actions to optimise the networks. These systems can be based on simheuristics to benefit from metaheuristics in exploring possible solutions and on simulation for modelling the networks. This book presents three approaches to recommend promising solutions to optimise the networks with fewer simulation runs. The first approach utilises information from the network to guide the search of metaheuristics. In this approach, domain-specific information is defined and assigned to actions. The metaheuristic algorithm utilises this domain-specific information to find more-promising solutions. The second approach is reducing the number of possible solutions by grouping actions with respect to their domain-specific attributes. Here, the smaller solution space decreases the number of required simulation runs. The last approach looks for equivalent solutions that cause the same changes in the network. This approach aims to skip unnecessary evaluations and, thus, simulation effort.

Table of contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Management of LogisticsDistribution Networks
• 2.1 Logistics Distribution Networks
• 2.2 Decision Makers’ Assistance Supporting Tools
• 3 Optimisation of DistributionNetworks
• 3.1 Metaheuristics for Solving OptimisationProblems
• 3.2 Simheuristics
• 3.3 The Performance of Optimisation Methods
• 3.4 Comparison between Optimisation Methods
• 3.5 A Logistics Assistance System for theOptimisation of a Distribution Network
• 3.6 The Problem Statement and ResearchQuestions
• 3.7 Performance Enhancement Approaches for theLogistics Assistance System
• 4 Enhancement Approach usingDomain-specific Information
• 4.1 Type of changes to Enhance the Performanceof an Optimisation Algorithm
• 4.2 Success to Enhance the Performance of anOptimisation Algorithm
• 4.3 Correlation to Enhance the Performance of anOptimisation Algorithm
• 5 Enhancement Approaches toReduce the Number of SimulationRuns
• 5.1 Grouping Actions to Reduce the Number ofAction Plans
• 5.2 Defining Equivalent Action Plans to Reduce theNumber of Evaluations
• 6 Case Study: Evaluating theProposed EnhancementApproaches
• 6.1 Thyssenkrupp Material Services
• 6.2 Optimising the Logistics Distribution NetworkUsing the LAS
• 6.3 Utilising Domain-specific Information toEnhance the Performance of the LAS
• 6.4 Grouping of Similar Actions to Enhance thePerformance of the LAS
• 6.5 Identifying Equivalent Action Plans to Enhancethe Performance of the LAS
• 6.6 Conclusions
• 7 Summary
• References
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Algorithms
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols
• Appendix A: Computer Specifications
• Appendix B: Testing the Utilisation ofDSI in Action Plans’Optimisation
• Appendix C: Experiments ComparingMethods to IdentifyEquivalent Solutions
• Appendix D: Case Study Experiments