Decision problems in miniload automatic warehousing systems
Abstract
In Mini-Load automatic warehousing systems, individual items are very small compared to the bin size, and so it is possible and generally desirable to keep several different items in the same bin. There are several decision problems associated with such systems. For example, the Pallet Assignment Problem deals with grouping items together to share the same pallet; the Batching-Time Problem deals with the length of time orders are batched together before being filled; and the Lot-Sizing Problem deals with the trade-offs between inventory and retrieval costs. The above decision problems (and others) are modelled under a variety of operating assumptions (e.g. correlated and uncorrelated demand). Algorithms are suggested to solve problems optimally in some specific situations and, in other cases, when the problems are hard, proofs of NP-Hardness are provided and heuristic solution techniques are developed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Ward, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Management
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.