CHAPTER 6 - Transportation
CHAPTER 6 - Transportation
TRANSPORTATION
Introduction:
The transportation problem, deals with the distribution of
goods from several points of supply (sources) to a
number of demand (destinations).
Usually, we have a given capacity of goods at each
source and a given requirement for the goods at each
destination.
The objective of the transportation problem is to
schedule shipments from sources to destinations so that
the total transportation cost is minimized.
Example:
Given is a transportation problem with the following cost,
supply and demand.
FROM
FACTORIES
1
2
3
DEMAND
TO WAREHOUSES
A
B
C
6
8
10
7
11
11
4
5
12
200
100
300
SUPPLY
150
175
275
600
WAREHOUSES
(Destinations)
150
200
175
100
275
300
Capacities
Requirements
Xij = Si
Xij = Dj
To
B
Supply
C
1
2
3
Demand
To
B
Supply
C
1
2
3
Demand
2.
3.
4.
5.
From
A
To
B
Supply
C
1
2
3
Demand
2.
3.
4.
5.
From
To
B
8
A
6
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
300
10
1A
From
To
B
8
A
6
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
A
6
To
B
8
300
2A
From
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
300
11
2B
From
To
B
8
A
6
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
A
6
To
B
8
300
3C
From
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
300
12
Second iteration:
From
To
B
8
A
6
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
7
11
175
4
175
Demand
5
100
200
100
300
To
B
8
A
6
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
7
11
175
4
175
Demand
5
100
200
100
300
13
2A
From
To
B
8
A
6
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
7
11
175
4
175
Demand
5
100
200
100
A
6
To
B
8
300
2B
From
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
7
11
175
4
175
Demand
5
100
200
100
300
14
3C
From
To
B
8
A
6
1
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
7
11
175
4
175
Demand
5
100
200
100
300
Alternative Solution:
From
To
B
8
Supply
A
6
11
11
175
12
275
200
100
Demand
C
10
150
300
15
ii.
iii. Compute the cost change, kij, for each empty cell
using kij = cij ui vj.
iv.
v.
16
From
To
B
8
A
6
25
2
Supply
C
10
150
11
175
12
275
125
11
175
4
200
Demand
5
75
200
100
300
17
New solution:
From
To
B
8
Supply
A
6
11
11
175
12
275
200
100
Demand
C
10
150
300
18
Alternative solution:
From
To
B
8
Supply
A
6
11
11
175
12
275
200
100
Demand
C
10
150
300
19
SPECIAL CASES:
1. The unbalanced transportation model
a) demand > supply
b) demand < supply
2. Degeneracy
3. Prohibited routes
1. The Unbalanced Transportation Model
a) demand > supply
Given is a transportation problem with the following cost,
supply and demand.
FROM
FACTORIES
1
2
3
DEMAND
TO WAREHOUSES
A
B
C
6
8
10
7
11
11
4
5
12
200
100
350
SUPPLY
150
175
275
20
TO WAREHOUSES
A
B
C
6
8
10
7
11
11
4
5
12
200
100
300
SUPPLY
150
175
375
21
2. Degeneracy
In a transportation tableau with m rows and n columns,
there must be m + n 1 cells with allocation; if not, it is
degenerate.
In this case, all the stepping-stone paths or MODI
equations cannot be developed.
TO WAREHOUSES
A
B
C
6
8
10
7
11
11
4
5
12
200
100
300
SUPPLY
150
250
200
22
3. Prohibited Routes
Sometimes one or more of the routes in the
transportation model are prohibited.
That is, units cannot be transported from a particular
source to a particular destination.
A prohibited route is assigned a large cost such as M so
that it will never receive an allocation.
Thus, when the prohibited cell is evaluated, it will
always contain a large positive cost change of M, which
will keep it from being selected as an entering variable.
23
Example:
A soft drink manufacturer, Sara Soda Sdn.Bhd., has recently begun
negotiations with brokers in the areas where it intends to distribute its
products. Before finalizing the agreements, however, Manager Dave wants
to determine shipping routes and costs. The firm has three plants with
capacities as shown below:
Plant
1
2
3
The estimated per unit shipping costs for the various routes are
From
1
2
3
A
3
2
1
B
5
7
10
To
C
2
2
5
D
8
3
5
E
7
4
6
Route 2 D is unacceptable.
a) Formulate a LP model for this problem.
b) Find the initial solution using VAM method.
24
c) Is this solution optimum? Otherwise get the next tableau and calculate
the total cost. (HINT: Use MODI Method)
ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM
-
Example:
In a job shop operation, four jobs may be performed on any
of four machines. The hours required for each job on each
machine are presented in the following table. The plant
supervisor would like to assign jobs so that total time is
minimized.
Job
A
B
C
D
Machine
1
10
12
9
14
2
14
13
12
16
3
16
15
12
18
4
13
12
11
16
Solution:
1. Find the opportunity cost table by:
a) Subtracting the smallest number in each row of
the original cost table from every number in
that
row.
Machine
Job
1
2
3
4
A
B
25
C
D
b)
Job
A
B
C
D
2.
3.
Job
Machine
1
A
B
C
D
Now, the minimum number of lines is equal to the number
of rows/columns. Therefore the table is optimal.
An assignment can be made to the cells which have zero
values.
Machine
Hours required
27
Example:
Car
A
B
C
D
E
1
10
6
7
5
9
Distance (km)
2
3
11
18
7
7
8
5
6
4
4
7
4
12
8
4
5
6
28
Car
A
B
C
D
E
1
10
6
7
5
9
Distance (km)
2
3
4
11
18
12
7
7
8
8
5
4
6
4
5
4
7
6
5
0
0
0
0
0
Distance (km)
3
Distance (km)
3
Solution:
Car
A
B
C
D
E
Car
A
B
C
D
E
29
B) Unacceptable Assignments
-
Example:
A shop has four machinists to be assigned to four machines.
The hourly cost of having each machine operated by each
machinist is as follows:
Machine
Machinist
A
B
C
D
1
$12
11
8
14
2
10
9
10
8
3
14
8
7
11
4
6
8
10
9
However, because he does not have enough experience,
machinist 3 cannot operate machine B. Determine the
optimal assignment and compute total minimum cost.
Solution:
Machinist
Machine
A
1
2
3
30
4
Machinist
Machine
A
1
2
3
4
Machinist
Machine
A
1
2
3
4
Machinist
Machine
A
1
2
3
4
Machinist
Machine
A
1
2
3
4
31
Place
A
$20
60
80
65
B
60
30
100
80
C
50
80
90
75
D
55
75
80
70
Solution:
We can obtain an equivalent minimization assignment
problem by converting all the elements in the matrix to
opportunity losses. We do so by subtracting every element
in the table from the largest number (100) in the table.
Product
Place
A
1
2
3
32
4
Product
Place
A
1
2
3
4
Product
Place
A
1
2
3
4
Product
Place
A
1
2
3
4
Product
Place
A
1
2
3
4
33
Exercises:
1.
The Omega pharmaceutical firm has five salespersons, whom the firm
wants to assign to five sales regions. Given their various previous
contacts, the salespersons are able to cover the regions in different
amounts of time. The amount of time (days) required by each
salesperson to cover each city is shown in the following table. Which
salesperson should be assigned to each region to minimize total time?
Identify the optimal assignments and compute total minimum time.
Salesperson
1
2
3
4
5
2.
A
17
12
11
14
13
B
10
9
16
10
12
Region
C
15
16
14
10
9
D
16
9
15
18
15
E
20
14
12
17
11
A
$12
10
5
9
10
B
7
14
3
11
6
Machine
C
D
20
14
13
20
6
9
7
16
14
8
E
8
9
7
9
10
F
10
11
10
10
12
34
3.
Course
A
80
95
85
93
91
B
75
90
95
91
92
C
90
90
88
80
93
D
85
97
91
84
88
35