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Multicriteria Optimization in a Typical Multi-Isle Warehouse with Multiple Racks

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Optimization in the Natural Sciences (EmC-ONS 2014)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 499))

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Abstract

This paper considers two common problems frequently found in warehouses: slotting and picking. The former refers to the best arrangement of items in the warehouse, while the latter concerns the definition of the best route to pick up the selected objects. In most industrial practice, the implementation of picking and slotting optimization techniques uses information based on historical data that, in most cases, would fail to work because of many factors affecting daily operations in the warehouse. Simulation models have been employed to build virtual scenarios in order to predict the outcomes of a specific operational decision. Simulation models also fail because collected data is not fully reliable. In order to overcome those problems, this paper proposes the use of a hybrid simulation and optimization approach in which real-time data is incorporated thanks to radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. Operational decisions are hence made in real-time. The approach is validated using real data from a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Colombian Department of Science, Technology and Innovation COLCIENCIAS and Centro de Investigación en Modelación Empresarial del Caribe (FCIMEC) through the project entitled: “Diseño e implementaciòn de centros de almacenamiento automatizados mediante la aplicación de tecnologí as EPC-RFID”, grant number 2233-454-25947. Special thanks to the team that worked in this Project: Luis Ramirez, Lauren Castro, Miguel Jiménez, Erik Maldonado and Fernando González.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundación Centro de Investigacion en Modelacion Empresarial del Caribe (FCIMEC), Carrera 60 No. 64-122, Barranquilla, Colombia

    Diana G. Ramirez-Rios & Laura P. Manotas Romero

  2. Escuela Internacional de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Universidad de La Sabana, Km 7 Autopista Norte de Bogotá D.C., Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia

    Jairo R. Montoya-Torres

Authors
  1. Diana G. Ramirez-Rios
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  2. Laura P. Manotas Romero
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  3. Jairo R. Montoya-Torres
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Correspondence to Diana G. Ramirez-Rios .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Mathematics, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Alexander Plakhov

  2. University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Tatiana Tchemisova

  3. University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Adelaide Freitas

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Ramirez-Rios, D.G., Manotas Romero, L.P., Montoya-Torres, J.R. (2015). Multicriteria Optimization in a Typical Multi-Isle Warehouse with Multiple Racks. In: Plakhov, A., Tchemisova, T., Freitas, A. (eds) Optimization in the Natural Sciences. EmC-ONS 2014. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 499. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20352-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20352-2_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20351-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20352-2

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