Abstract—This paper considers a location and transportation problem in a distribution network with a set of part suppliers, cross-docking centers and assembly plants known as customers. In usual studies investigating cross-docking networks, all vehicles are forced to pass through cross-docks even if they pick up and deliver the same set of goods and products. In order to eliminate unnecessary stops at cross-docking centers and reduce transportation costs, we address a distribution network in which shipments are allowed to be transferred from suppliers to assembly plants directly as well as through cross-docks (indirect shipment). A mathematical model is developed for this problem in which the best location for establishing cross-docks is determined while simultaneously suppliers and plants are allocated to cross-docking centers in order to transport parts via two transportation strategies: direct shipment and shipment through cross-docks. In order to solve the model GAMS software has been used and some numerical examples are performed, in small and medium size problem instances. The results are reported in terms of total cost of the network and computational time.
Index Terms—Cross-docking, direct shipment, distribution network, location problem, mathematical model.
A. Hasani Goodarzi and S. H. Zegordi are with the Industrial Engineering in the Faculty of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran (e-mail: asefeh.hasani@modares.ac.ir, Zegordi@modares.ac.ir).
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Cite: A. Hasani Goodarzi and S. H. Zegordi, "A New Model for Location and Transportation Problem of Cross-Docks in Distribution Networks," International Journal of Modeling and Optimization vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 327-331, 2017.
