logistica-design

Scheduling - 1958

2007-08-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Scheduling 33 Hilton Hotels - in 1958.

Trouble in the trucking industry

2007-02-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Slate:
Dump Truck: The mysterious trouble in the trucking industry

Say what?

2007-01-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

From the internets:

Amazon warehouse (UK)

2007-01-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

flickr link

Return of the sailing ship?

2006-12-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

cnet news (news.com) 12/4/06:
Photos: A kite to pull a cargo ship

Traffic Safety

2006-10-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Onion parodies "rubberneckers":
DOT: Dangerous Intersection Causing Some Pretty Cool Accidents

Facility Location via Atomic Physics

2006-10-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Atomic Physics Predicts Successful Store Location

(Note: The link is to a summary of a paper that appears the September 2006 Physical Review E)

Adventures in Material Handling

2006-10-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Oops: Baikonur crew drops weather satellite

Tire recycling

2006-09-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

What happens to all those car and truck tires? Here's one answer...

Miami Herald:
Artificial reef made of tires becomes ecological disaster.

Supermarket logistics

2006-09-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

Vintage supermarket photos.

Iraqi Army logistics

2006-09-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

NPR's All Things Considered:
Iraqi Army Has Control, but No Logistics

A new northern passage?

2006-09-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Scientists shocked as Arctic polar route emerges

This is actually somewhat old news - for several years now folks have been anticipating new northern passages through the Arctic past Canada and past Russia.

Military photos

2006-09-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Many of these photos are logistics-related:
Current Year (in left navbar), Previous Years

Congress

2006-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus

The perils of "roll your own" WMSs

2006-09-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Beware the programming guru

Road hazard

2006-09-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

Consider the perils of being a truck driver in Malyaysia: giant snakes on the road.

Split shipment fiasco

2006-09-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

18 towels from amazon.com = 18 boxes
(via BoingBoing.net)

Wonder Warehouse 1962?

2006-08-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

An interesting ad from the November 1956 issue of Modern Mechanix.

Disaster logistics

2006-08-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

MIT professor and logistics expert Yossi Sheffi appeared on WBUR's "Here and Now" radio program: Fixing FEMA

Euclidean TSP in Excel VBA

2006-03-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

TSP_draw.xls is a simple Excel VBA program that solves Euclidean traveling salesman problems and displays solutions graphically.

The program is "rough" - it was written such that beginning coders could modify and improve it.

Link: TSP_draw.xls
Capabilities: Euclidean TSP - solution algorithms and graphical display
Author: Michael H. Cole
License: GPL
Platform requirements: Microsoft Excel (VBA)
User-modifiable: Yes
Version: alpha

Over capacitated

2006-03-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Pics of overloaded vehicles.

Daskin's "states" software

2006-03-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

This software solves a TSP problem and a facilities location problem that use the 48 state capitals (and D.C.) as the underlying data set.

Link: http://users.iems.northwestern.edu/~msdaskin/Software.htm
Capabilities: TSP, location
Author: Mark S. Daskin
License: ?
Platform requirements: Microsoft Excel
User-modifiable: ?
Version: ?

Daskin's "SITUATION" facility location software

2006-03-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

Software to accompany Daskin's text: Network and Discrete Location: Models, Algorithms, and Applications.

Link: http://users.iems.northwestern.edu/~msdaskin/BookSoftware.htm
Capabilities: P-median, P-center, Set Covering, Maximal Covering, Uncapacitated Fixed Charge Problems
Author: Mark S. Daskin
License: ?
Platform requirements: Microsoft Windows
User-modifiable: ?
Version: 5.7.0.9

Floyd's shortest path algorithm

2006-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

floyd.xls is a simple Excel VBA program that implements Floyd's algorithm for finding the shortest paths between all nodes in a network. The program was written such that beginning coders could modify and improve it.

Capabilities: find shortest paths between all pairs of nodes in a network
Author: Michael H. Cole
License: GPL
Platform requirements: Microsoft Excel (VBA)
User-modifiable: Yes
Version: alpha

1-center facility location problem

2006-02-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

hakimi_5.xls is a simple Excel VBA program that demonstrates Hakimi's algorithm for solving the 1-center facility location problem. The program was written such that beginning coders could modify and improve it.

Capabilities: site a single facility on a network to minimax customer travel time
Author: Michael H. Cole
License: GPL
Platform requirements: Microsoft Excel (VBA)
User-modifiable: Yes
Version: alpha

Warehouse tour - Newegg

2006-02-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

Newegg warehouse (via www.anandtech.com)

Article in NY TImes

2006-02-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

Some Assembly Needed: China as Asia Factory (free registration required).

Houston road network

2006-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

See www.houstonfreeways.com for an exhaustive pictorial history of Houston's extensive network of freeways.

Aggregating customers

2006-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Aggregate.xls is a simple Excel VBA program that demonstrates customer aggregation. The program was written such that beginning coders could modify and improve it.

Capabilities: graphically aggregate n customers into 100 customers
Author: Michael H. Cole
License: GPL
Platform requirements: Microsoft Excel (VBA)
User-modifiable: Yes
Version: alpha

City infrastructure

2006-02-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

The Works: anatomy of a city (Kate Ascher) examines the infrastructure of a typical large city.

Logistics-related chapters include: Streets, Subway, Bridges & Tunnels, Rail Freight, Maritime Freight, Air Cargo, and Markets.

Vending machines on aircraft carriers

2006-01-31T16:50:00.000-08:00

StrategyPage has an interesting inventory-related article: Why The World's Largest Vending Machine Matters. Typical soda machines on a carrier's hangar deck might need to be replenished several times a day. The new VIB machine is 3 times larger than a commerical machine, so might need replenishment only once per day.

I wonder what the cost-per-replenishment is on an aircraft carrier?

Material Handling Links

2006-01-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Michael Cole's Material Handing Page has sections on the Material Handling Industry of America trade association, Magazines & Journals, Societies & Associations, Research Groups, Equipment, Continuing Education, and Academic Courses.

InventoryOps Link Page

2006-01-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

InventoryOps.com Links Page: Inventory Management, Manufacturing, Material Handling, and Warehousing.

Nestlé Supply Chain

2006-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Nestlé Cooks Up a Global Supply Chain

Slate article

2006-01-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

One Word: Logistics --
The unheralded key to the New Economy

Microsoft Excel Solver

2006-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

The following websites have useful information on the Excel Solver:

Introduction to optimization with the Excel Solver tool

Solving a Linear Program Using the Excel Solver

Solver tutorial for optimization users

Using Solver for LP Problems

Warehouse design software

2006-01-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Georgia Tech professors Bartholdi and Hackman have written a new book: Warehouse and Distribution Science.

The book's Supplement includes web-based Java software that addresses slotting, flow visualization, and pick-path design.

OR/MS Today software surveys

2006-01-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

OR/MS Today Software Surveys includes Vehicle Routing, Supply Chain Management, Forecasting, etc.

INFORMS

2006-01-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

INFORMS OR/MS Resource Collection: Computer Programs has an extensive list of commercial and non-commercial programs for Opereations Research.

List of logistics providers and consultants

2006-01-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Supply Chain Space

logistics.about.com

2006-01-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Some links:

1. Logistics and Supply Chain Management Software

2. Starting a Logistics Software Company

Layout software included in Heragu's Facilities Design text

2005-12-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Layout software to accompany Facilities Design (Heragu) is available for free download.

Capabilities: block layout
Author: varies by program
License: educational use only
Platform requirements: Microsoft Windows
User-modifiable: no

ASDN: Agile Supply Demand Networks

2005-12-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

ASDN is open source software for "analyzing and developing logistics networks."

Capabilities: logistics networks
License: GPL
Platform requirements: Java
User-modifiable: Yes.

List of software for facilities design

2005-12-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Shahrukh A. Irani has listed various facilities design programs (mainly commerical).

BLOCPLAN - layouts

2005-12-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

BLOCPLAN is useful for developing block layouts. It is used in IE courses at the University of Houston and at other universities.

Capabilities: block layout
Author: Charles Donaghey
License: contact author
Platform requirements: Microsoft DOS/Windows
User-modifiable: no

Lineback: VRP with backhauls

2005-12-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

Lineback addresses the "Vehicle Routing with Backhauls" problem. The software is used in several courses at Georgia Tech.

Capabilities: VRP with backhauls
Author: Marc Goetschalckx
License: contact author
Platform requirements: Microsoft Windows
User-modifiable: no

Tours: traveling salesman problem

2005-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Tours addresses the Traveling Salesman Problem. The software is used in several courses at Georgia Tech.

Capabilities: traveling salesman problem
Author: Marc Goetschalckx
License: contact author
Platform requirements: Microsoft Windows
User-modifiable: no

Spiral - facilities design and layout

2005-12-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

Spiral is a state-of-the-art program for developing block layouts. It is used in several courses at Georgia Tech.

Capabilities: layout
Author: Marc Goetschalckx
License: contact author
Platform requirements: Microsoft Windows
User-modifiable: no

Matlog: Logistics engineering Matlab toolbox

2005-12-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

Matlog is a comprehensive package used in two Industrial Engineering courses at North Carolina State University.

Capabilities: facility location, VRP, networks, layout, geocoding
Author: Michael G. Kay
License: free for non-commercial use as long as original source is cited
Platform requirements: Matlab
User-modifiable: only if you are a good Matlab programmer

Logistics: software for analysis and design

2005-12-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

This blog will discuss software (and other technologies) related to the design and analysis of logistics systems.

I plan to include links to my own small software programs.