Transportation planning with multi-level pooling model
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for transportation planning using a network flow based multi-level pooling model, the method comprising:
- accessing a set of orders;
accessing a transportation planning model comprising;
data concerning a transportation network that includes a set of potential pooling points; and
a compatibility data concerning compatibilities between orders and pooling points;
decomposing an order in the set of orders into one or more order-leg flows;
selecting from the set of potential pooling points one or more eligible pooling points through which an order-leg may pass;
producing a network flow graph that includes the order-leg flows, where the order-leg flows may be characterized by one or more flow variables;
selectively assigning a value to the one or more flow variables;
evaluating a compatibility between an order-leg flow and a potential pooling point based, at least in part, on the compatibility data;
selectively aggregating one or more order-leg flows into one or more arc flows; and
selecting one or more included pooling points from the one or more eligible pooling points and selecting one or more order-legs to consolidate into one or more consolidated order-legs based, at least in part, on minimizing a transportation cost associated with transporting the set of orders.
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Abstract
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with multi-level pooling in transportation planning are described. One exemplary method embodiment includes, co-operatively and in parallel choosing pooling points and order-legs to consolidate. The example method may also include constructing a cost-optimal trip based, at least in part, on the contemporaneously chosen pooling points and orders-legs.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for transportation planning using a network flow based multi-level pooling model, the method comprising:
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accessing a set of orders;
accessing a transportation planning model comprising;
data concerning a transportation network that includes a set of potential pooling points; and
a compatibility data concerning compatibilities between orders and pooling points;
decomposing an order in the set of orders into one or more order-leg flows;
selecting from the set of potential pooling points one or more eligible pooling points through which an order-leg may pass;
producing a network flow graph that includes the order-leg flows, where the order-leg flows may be characterized by one or more flow variables;
selectively assigning a value to the one or more flow variables;
evaluating a compatibility between an order-leg flow and a potential pooling point based, at least in part, on the compatibility data;
selectively aggregating one or more order-leg flows into one or more arc flows; and
selecting one or more included pooling points from the one or more eligible pooling points and selecting one or more order-legs to consolidate into one or more consolidated order-legs based, at least in part, on minimizing a transportation cost associated with transporting the set of orders. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer-implemented method for transportation planning using a network flow based multi-level pooling model, the method comprising:
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accessing a set of orders, where an order includes data concerning one or more of, a commodity to be shipped, an order time window, an earliest pickup time, an earliest delivery time, a latest pickup time, a latest delivery time, a source, and a destination;
accessing a transportation planning model comprising;
data concerning a transportation network that includes a set of potential pooling points, where a potential pooling point may be one or more of, a consolidation point, a deconsolidation point, and a cross-docking point;
a compatibility data concerning compatibilities between orders and pooling points, where the compatibility data includes one or more of, an item to be carried, a pooling point owner, a carrier that can use a pooling point, an item that can use a pooling point, and an equipment that can use a pooling point; and
data concerning one or more of, a carriage mode, a carrier, a carriage rate, and a facility;
decomposing an order in the set of orders into one or more order-leg flows;
selecting from the set of potential pooling points one or more eligible pooling points through which an order-leg may pass;
producing a network flow graph that includes the order-leg flows, where the order-leg flows may be characterized by one or more flow variables, where producing the network flow graph includes identifying potential paths through the transportation network, the potential paths including at least all the paths associated with the order-leg flows, and where the one or more flow variables are configured to store data concerning one or more of, an order-leg flow capacity, an order-leg flow cost, an order-leg flow availability, and an order-leg flow priority;
selectively assigning a value to the one or more flow variables;
evaluating a compatibility between an order-leg flow and a potential pooling point based, at least in part, on the compatibility data;
translating an order time window into one or more flexible time windows for an order-leg flow;
selectively aggregating one or more order-leg flows into one or more arc flows including identifying one or more order-leg flows having intersecting flexible time windows;
modeling as a node capacity one or more of, a loading capacity of a potential pooling point, an unloading capacity of a potential pooling point, and a dock capacity of a potential pooling point;
estimating the number of vehicles needed to carry an item included in the arc-flows;
evaluating a cost of transporting the item;
posting the cost as an objective value associated with a mixed integer network flow model;
selecting one or more included pooling points from the eligible pooling points and selecting one or more order-legs to consolidate into one or more consolidated order-legs based, at least in part, on minimizing a transportation cost associated with transporting the set of orders; and
producing an actionable plan of loads using a bin-packing heuristic to construct one or more loads based, at least in part, on the included pooling points and the consolidated order-legs.
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16. A computer-implemented network flow based multi-level pooling transportation planning method, comprising:
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substantially in parallel, co-operatively choosing one or more pooling points and one or more order-legs to consolidate based, at least in part, on a mixed integer network flow model;
providing a first data concerning a set of order-leg divisions associated with the one or more pooling points; and
providing a second data concerning the one or more order-legs to consolidate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A network flow based multi-level pooling transportation planning system, comprising:
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a data store configured to store a set of orders, a transportation model, and a compatibility data;
a first logic operably connected to the data store, the first logic being configured to identify a pooling point;
a second logic operably connected to the data store and the first logic, the second logic being configured to identify one or more order-legs to consolidate into a consolidated order-leg; and
a third logic operably connected to the first logic and the second logic, the third logic being configured to provide an actionable plan of loads that selectively routes consolidated order-legs through the pooling point;
the first logic and the second logic being configured to operate substantially in parallel with each other and to co-operate with each other in identifying the pooling point and the one or more order-legs to consolidate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system, comprising:
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means for automatically choosing a pooling point;
means for automatically, contemporaneously, and co-operatively choosing one or more order-legs to consolidate; and
means for determining a cost-optimal trip based on the pooling point and the one or more order-legs.
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26. A set of application programming interfaces embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution by a computer component in conjunction with multi-level pooling transportation planning based on a network flow model, comprising:
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a first interface for communicating a pooling point data;
a second interface for communicating a consolidated order data; and
a third interface for communicating a cost-optimal trip data, where the cost-optimal trip is computed from the pooling point data and the order data.
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Specification