Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Operative transportation planning in consumer goods supply chains

  • Published:
Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Transportation management in today’s consumer goods industry can be characterized by a high proportion of outsourced transportation services. Due to rising freight costs consumer goods manufacturers are looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of their transportation network. This study presents an operational transportation planning problem typical of the consumer goods industry focusing on a network of suppliers, production facilities and warehousing locations. It comprises an analysis of freight costs in a consumer goods transportation network based on the freight rate structures. In this analysis a number of opportunities for efficiency gains are identified and consolidated in an operative transportation planning problem which is then numerically investigated. Furthermore, an overview of processes and organizational structures in transportation management is given with special focus on the integration of existing commercial Transportation Management Systems (TMS).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Caputo AC, Pelagagge PM, Scacchia F (2003) Integrating transport systems in supply chain management software tools. Ind Manag Data Syst 103:503–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caputo AC, Fratocchi L, Pelagagge PM (2005) A framework for analyzing long-range direct shipping logistics. Ind Manag Data Syst 105:876–899

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caputo AC, Fratocchi L, Pelagagge PM (2006) A genetic approach for freight transportation planning. Ind Manag Data Syst 106:719–738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan LMA, Muriel A, Shen ZJ, Simchi-Levi D (2002) On the effectiveness of zero-invenotry-ordering policies for the economic lot-sizing model with a class of piecewise linear cost structures. Oper Res 50:1058–1067

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Chu CW (2005) A heuristic algorithm for the truckload and less-than-truckload problem. Eur J Oper Res 165:657–667

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Crainic T (2000) Service network design in freight transportation. Eur J Oper Res 122:272–288

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Crainic TG, Laporte G (1997) Planning models for freight transportation. Eur J Oper Res 97:409–438

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Du TW, Wang FK, Lu PY (2007) A real-time vehicle-dispatching system for consolidating milk runs. Transp Res Part E 43:565–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golden BL, Assad AAM, Wasil EA (2002) Routing vehicles in the real world: applications in the solid waste, beverage, food, dairy, and newspaper industries. In: Toth P, Vigo D (eds) The vehicle routing problem. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopfer H (1984) Lösung des Frachtoptimierungsproblems im gewerblichen Güterfernverkehr – Lösungsaufwand versus Lösungsqualität. Dissertation, Universität Bremen [in German]

  • Kopfer H (1992) Konzepte genetischer Algorithmen und ihre Anwendung auf das Frachtoptimierungsproblem im gewerblichen Güterfernverkehr. OR Spektrum 14:137–147 [in German]

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Lapierre SD, Ruiz AB, Soriano P (2004) Designing distribution networks: formulations and solution heuristic. Transp Sci 38:174–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Li CL, Chan CY (2003) Mixed truck delivery systems with both hub-and-spoke and direct shipments. Transp Res Part E 39:325–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lütke Entrup M (2005) Advanced planning in fresh food industries. Physica, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • McKinnon A, Ge Y, McClelland D (2004) Assessment of the opportunities for rationalising road transport. Logistics Research Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin J, Motwani J, Madan MS, Gunasekaran A (2003) Using information technology to improve downstream supply chain operations: a case study. Busi Process Manag 9:69–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meixell MJ, Norbis M (2008) A review of the transportation mode choice and carrier selection literature. Int J Logist Manag 19:182–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore EW, Warmke JM, Gorban LR (1991) The indispensable role of management science in centralizing freight operations at Reynolds Metal Company. Interfaces 21:107–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieksts BQ, Ventura JA (2008) Optimal inventory policies with two modes of freight transportation. Eur J Oper Res 186:576–585

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Sahin B, Yilmaz H, Ust Y, Guneri AF, Gulsun B (2009) An approach for analysing transportation costs and a case study. Eur J Oper Res 193:1–11

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Savelsbergh MWP, Sol M (1995) The general pickup and delivery problem. Transp Sci 29:17–29

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Simons D, Mason R, Gardner B (2004) Overall vehicle effectiveness. Int J Logist Res Appl 7:119–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stank TP, Goldsby TJ (2000) A framework for transportation decision making in an integrated supply chain. Supply Chain Manag Int J 5:71–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vannieuwenhuyse B, Gelder L, Pintelon L (2003) An online decision support system for transportation mode choice. Logist Inf Manag 16:125–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Production Management, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany

    Hans-Otto Günther

  2. 4flow AG, Hallerstraße 1, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Thorben Seiler

Authors
  1. Hans-Otto Günther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thorben Seiler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans-Otto Günther.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Günther, HO., Seiler, T. Operative transportation planning in consumer goods supply chains. Flex Serv Manuf J 21, 51–74 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-010-9060-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-010-9060-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation