Logistics Systems Analysis

"This book describes how to plan and design efficient logistics systems considering simultaneously all integral aspects of their operation, and how to evaluate economically existing or proposed systems. The approach, more physical than mathematical, requires little data. Building on an understanding of the simplest logistics system with only one origin and one destination, the book treats problems with many origins and one destination, many destinations and one origin, and many origins and many destinations; this is done for systems with and without transshipments. The methodologies presented in the book are particularly useful when decisions have to be made with incomplete or uncertain information; e.g., when evaluating a business plan, or designing a system for a long time horizon." "This expanded edition includes new research results and numerous modifications to enhance comprehensiveness and clarity. It has two new sections, a new appendix, and more than half a dozen new figures."--Jacket This expanded edition of ALogistics Systems Analysis@ includes new - search results and numerous modifications to enhance comprehensiveness and clarity. It has two new sections, a new appendix, and more than half a dozen new figures. A few references have also been added, but the bibli- raphy is not exhaustive. Much of the new material is based on work by Profs. Alan Erera (Georgia Tech), Karen Smilowitz (Northwestern U.), and by PhD candidate Yanfeng Ouyang (U. C. Berkeley). Their help is gratefully acknowledged. The financial support of the National Science Foundation and the Volvo Foundations Center of Excellence for the Future of Urban Transportation at U. C. Berkeley is also acknowledged. The new appendix presents the logic behind the traveling salesman and vehicle routing results used in Sec. 4. 2 to describe the transportation ope- tion; Chapter 4 is more self-contained as a result. New section 5. 6 int- duces and evaluates a general method that automatically translates the c- tinuum approximation recipes of Chapters 4 and 5 into discrete system designs. This closes a gap in previous editions. Other additions include an explanation of how to develop system designs that can efficiently acc- modate real-time control strategies to manage uncertainty (new section 4. 6. 3), and extensions of the many-to-many design ideas of Chap. 6 (in - panded section 6. 5. 3). An errata corrigendum will be posted on the - thors=s web site: http://www. ce. berkeley.

"… a well structured and documented book that certainly reflects the new era of logistics." Journal of the Operational Research Society (of a previous edition)

Expanded edition includes new research results and numerous modifications to enhance comprehensiveness and clarity.

Two new sections, a new appendix, and more than half a dozen new figures.

Provides new concept for an integrated examination of logistics systems

Features "reasonable" solutions requiring as little information as possible