Advanced Transportation Optimization options

Problem Type

Select from the following choices:

  • Auto-Detect – The Auto-Detect problem type analyzes your model structure to determine the appropriate Transportation Optimization Problem. For example, Transportation Optimization assesses conditions such as:
    • Are all shipments going from site to customer, or from customer to site?
    • Are there shipments from customer to customer?
    • Is a periodic schedule defined?
    • Have one or more hubs been defined?
    • Is the Optimize Fleet Size setting selected?

    Based on which of these conditions is true, Transportation Optimization can determine if the appropriate problem type is, for example, interleaved, a hub optimization, a periodic optimization, or standard optimization.

    To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Auto-Detect" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 0.

  • Standard Optimization – Creates transportation routes using optional time windows for shipment pickup and delivery. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Standard Optimization" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 1.
  • Periodic Optimization – Shipments are delivered based on an established schedule. For this problem type, Transportation Optimization addresses regular deliveries across a fixed periodic schedule. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Periodic Optimization" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 22.
  • Backhaul Optimization – A type of continuous move optimization that takes advantage of the empty vehicle at the end of a pooled outbound route to perform a pooled inbound route. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Backhaul Optimization" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 3.
  • Interleaved Optimization – Combines pick ups and deliveries on a single route to achieve greater efficiency in transportation asset use. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Interleaved Optimization" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 32.
  • Hub Optimization – Hub Optimization allows you to solve Hub Selection and Zone Skipping problems. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Problem Type” field and "Hub Optimization" as the value. Internally, this is problem type 35.

Default value: Auto-Detect

Last-In First-Out When Loading And Unloading

When this option is selected, Transportation Optimization assumes that the last item picked up should be the first item delivered. Other shipments on the route are unloaded in a similar order. This setting represents a vehicle with a single loading door in which the first items loaded are placed furthest from this door.

Note: If you are using Baseline modeling, shipments may be invalid if their sequence violates the Last In First Out constraint.

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Last-In First-Out when loading and unloading” field and select "Yes" as the value.

Default value: Unchecked

Auto-Detect Shipments Decomposition Field

When this switch is on, Transportation Optimization determines the groups (or clusters) to use for shipment decomposition. Shipments in different decomposition groups will not be routed together. When the auto-detect switch is off, shipments are grouped by the values of the Shipments Decomposition Field.

Decomposition groups are based on a field from one of the following:

  • A set of predefined options, including Shipment Origin Country, Shipment Destination Country, Earliest Pickup Date Day (the day component for the earliest pickup; time is not a factor), and others.
  • Any standard column from the Shipments table.
  • Any user defined column from the Shipments table.

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Auto-Detect Shipment Decomposition” field and select "Yes".

Default value: Off

Shipments Decomposition Field

You can use this option to enforce grouping of shipments, based on one of a number of fields. When you run Transportation Optimization, shipments are grouped by the values of the Shipments Decomposition Field. Shipments in different decomposition groups will not be routed together. For example, if you select “Shipment Destination State” as the Shipments Decomposition Field, shipments with destinations in “MI” will not be routed with shipments that have destinations in “OH”. Using Shipments Decomposition Field can improve solve time.

This option is available only when the Auto-Detect Shipments Decomposition Field is off.

Select one of:

  • A set of predefined options, including Shipment Origin Country, Shipment Destination Country, Earliest Pickup Date Day (the day component for the earliest pickup; time is not a factor), and others.
  • Any standard column from the Shipments table.
  • Any user defined column from the Shipments table.

The value, based on the selected Shipments Decomposition Field, is populated in a number of Transportation Optimization output tables:

  • Route Summary
  • Input Shipments
  • Shipment Output
  • Delivered Shipments

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Shipments Decomposition Field” field and select the field you want to apply. You must also create a scenario item to set the "TO Shipment Decomposition Type" field. This will be one of:

  • PreConfigured Column - These are the fields in the first section of the Shipments Decomposition Field values. They include Shipment Origin Country, Shipment Destination Country, and Earliest Pickup Date Day.
  • Shipments Column - These are columns from the Shipments input table.
  • Shipments UserDefinedColumn - These are any user defined columns that have been defined on the Shipments input table.

Default value: None

Distance Factor

Used to estimate the real travel distance based on straight line distance by applying a percentage:

Travel distance = straight line distance + (straight line distance x distance factor).

Acceptable values: Integers greater than 0.

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Distance Factor” field and enter the factor you want to apply.

Default value: 1.17

Use Local Time

Specifies whether or not to use local time for time windows. If Use Local Time is checked, shipment time windows are in the local time with regards to the time zone defined for each location. Times in the output reflect the time zone for the pool site of the route. The various “Local” time columns are written in the true local time for the stops.

If Use Local Time is not checked, then all times are based on a “unified time zone”.

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Use Local Time” field and select "Yes" as the value.

Default value: Selected

Deviation From Average Shipment Size (%)

Transportation Optimization can perform load balancing at the pool site (DC). You define the balancing in terms of a percentage deviation allowed from the average load per day. By default, this allowance acts as a soft constraint. Enter the maximum percentage deviation (an integer between 0 and 100) allowed from the average load per day. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Deviation From Average Shipment Size (%)” field and enter an integer between 0 and 100 as the value.

Default value: 10

Treat Deviation Percentage As A Hard Constraint

When this option is selected, the Deviation From Average Shipment Size (%) acts as a hard constraint. Loads that exceed this value will not be constructed. To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Treat Deviation Percentage As A Hard Constraint” field and select "Yes" as the value.

Default value: Not selected

Periodic Demand Distribution

This option enables you to control how demand is distributed over the model horizon. You can choose to evenly distribute demand across the days of the horizon rather than accumulating demand to schedule days. The value can be one of:

  • Cyclic – When this option is selected, the model horizon represents a scheduling pattern that is repetitive, assuming the pattern is the same prior to and after the current horizon. Shipments that occur between the scheduled days are accumulated and assigned to the days within the horizon. Resulting shipments are populated in the PVRP Delivered Shipments table.
  • Even – When this option is selected, the total amount for shipments that exist per location (based on the periodic optimization Unit of Measure) is evenly allocated to the number of frequencies defined in the Periodic Schedule table. Since this is purely based off total demand, it ignores the concept of a physical PVRP shipment. The shipment output is populated in the Delivered Shipments table, not the PVRP Delivered Shipments table.

You can set this option in a Scenario by selecting the “Transportation Optimization Options” table and “Periodic Demand Distribution” as the Field. Select either "Cyclic" or "Even" as the value.

Default value: Cyclic

Unit Of Measure

Select the unit of measure that is to be used to achieve load balancing for the periodic optimization. This can be one of: Quantity, Weight, or Volume. When entering Balance Dates or setting a maximum load balance allowance, values are based on the selected Unit Of Measure. For example, if your Unit Of Measure is "Weight", with a default weight unit of LB, setting the Balance Date Minimum to 8000 and Balance Date Maximum to 15000 means loads on that date must be between 8000 and 15000 LB.

To set this option in a scenario, select the “Transportation Optimization Options” table, the “Unit of Measure” field and select "Quantity", " Weight", or "Volume".

The # of Shipments value is not supported by the solver.

Default value: Quantity

Balance Dates

Date

Enter the date for which the maximum and minimum apply. The date can also identify dates on which periodic optimization visits cannot occur.

Maximum

For the selected date, enter the maximum that can be routed, based on the Unit of Measure. For example, if your unit of measure is "Weight" (and your default weight unit of measure is LB), a maximum of 15000 means that loads on this date cannot exceed 15000 LB.

Minimum

For the selected date, enter the minimum that must be routed, based on the Unit of Measure. For example, if your unit of measure is "Weight" (and your default weight unit of measure is LB), a minimum of 8000 means that loads on this date must be at least 8000 LB.

Exclude

Select the day or days in the model horizon on which periodic optimization visits cannot occur. For the selected date, select "Exclude". For example, if your model horizon is 9/2/2018 (Sunday) through 9/9/2018 (Sunday) and no visits can occur on the first day of the horizon, select 9/2/2018 and then select "Exclude".

To delete a Balance Date record, select the record and click the Delete key.

Default value: Not Selected

Last modified: Friday May 12, 2023

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