Location Issues in Guaranteed Time Distribution Systems
Abstract
The guaranteed time distribution problem consists of organizing the distribution system so that movement between any source destination pair (serviced by the system) can be completed within some guaranteed time (T). Various express mail services (e.g. Federal Express) are examples of such distribution systems. The movement of items between source and destination consists of a combination of different modes of travel with varying speeds (i.e. trucks, airplanes, etc.). Decisions have to be made regarding location accumulation points (called local centers) at which the different modes of travel are affected that provide the best (minimum) time guarantee for travel between any source-destination pair. Typical distribution systems tend to have a tree structure; for such systems were provide polynomial time optimal algorithms which locate these accumulation points and provide minimum time guarantee. We also address related models with varying degrees of coordination and present optimal algorithms for their solution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA200724
Entities
People
- Ananth V. Iyer
- H. D. Ratliff
Organizations
- Georgia Tech