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Warehouse and Distribution Science: Chapters 10 & 11 Routing To Reduce Travel AND Workflow and Balance

This document discusses routing and balancing work in warehouses. It covers using algorithms like the traveling salesman problem to optimize pick routing and reduce travel time. While developing optimal routes is difficult, heuristics like serpentine paths and branch and pick can help. The document also discusses using bucket brigades to self-organize work teams and balance workload, with advantages over zoning approaches. Bucket brigades allow work to flow based on individual speeds, improving productivity. Optimal routing is most beneficial for warehouses with many slow-moving items or moderate sized orders.

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33 views

Warehouse and Distribution Science: Chapters 10 & 11 Routing To Reduce Travel AND Workflow and Balance

This document discusses routing and balancing work in warehouses. It covers using algorithms like the traveling salesman problem to optimize pick routing and reduce travel time. While developing optimal routes is difficult, heuristics like serpentine paths and branch and pick can help. The document also discusses using bucket brigades to self-organize work teams and balance workload, with advantages over zoning approaches. Bucket brigades allow work to flow based on individual speeds, improving productivity. Optimal routing is most beneficial for warehouses with many slow-moving items or moderate sized orders.

Uploaded by

Anonymous 1gbsuaafdd
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Warehouse and Distribution Science

CHAPTERS 10 & 11 ROUTING TO REDUCE TRAVEL AND WORKFLOW AND BALANCE

Routing
CHAPTER 10

Learning Objectives
Understand the complexities of implementing pick

routing Explain why straight line and serpentine paths are usually good Understand the relationship between product placement and travel time in picking & some rules of thumb about best placement of popular skus Understand why developing optimal pick routings is a difficult problem to solve and not included in most WMS Implement by hand a simplified version of Ratliff and Rosenthals algorithm for a small pick problem

Shortest Route Problem


What is the shortest

route or path from a given node in a network to all other nodes?


Mapquest Deliveries Warehouse picking Critical path in project management More

Traveling Salesman Problem

http://www.tsp.gatech.edu/games/tspOnePlayer.html

Complexity of the TSP


In the theory of computational complexity, the

decision version of the TSP belongs to the class of NP-complete problems. Thus, it is likely that the worst case running time for any algorithm for the TSP increases exponentially with the number of cities.

TSP at UCF for ILL


UCF Main campus Objectiveobtain route

with minimum travel distance to visit all departments to deliver inter-library load (ILL) material Start and End at Library Nodes - Department buildings (X, Y) locations Assume One Vehicle

TSP Model
Objective: To minimize the total travel distance of the

route

Minimize

dij * Xij
i 1 j 1

Constraints:
1.

Vehicle should leave each node (including library)

Xij = 1
i 1

2.

Vehicle should visit each node and return to the depot (library)

Xij = 1
j 1

3.

Subtour elimination: Vehicle should make only one complete tour. Xij |S| - 1 S N

iS jS

Results of the Traveling Salesman Tour


HPA1 CAS HPA2

Communications BHC 75 Colbourn Hall 95 18 Education 21 14 2 12 5 54 45

87

Engg 1 & 2

80

90

Creol
91 94 53 BA 2

20

BA 1 HP Hall Bio. Sci. Library

Math & Physics

Chemistry

CSB

What if have two vehicles?


2. Two routes instead of one Cluster first, route second
CLUSTER 1

CLUSTER 2

Two Optimal Routes w Capacity Constraint

ROUTE 2

ROUTE 1

75

87

80
95 18 21 14 2 12 5 54 45

90

91 94 20

53

So what about TSP for a warehouse?


Rectilinear Aisles Need to know distance

between each pair of locations Not supported by WMS What if the picker doesnt follow suggested route? Think iPad

Heuristics
Global path imposes a sequence that will be

respected by all travel

Known as Probabilistic Traveling Salesman Problem PTSP

Want a pick path that is short (efficient) and simple

to understand Serpentine pick path Branch and Pick

Serpentine Example

Popular skus

Wider aisles

Branch and Pick Example

Branch and Pick Alternatives

Branch and Pick Alternatives

Routing Heuristic
Simplified version of optimal-finding algorithm by

Ratliff and Rosenthal Use Dynamic Programming Assumptions:


Each aisle can be visited only once; To get to the next aisle, the picker can travers the entire aisle or retreat back to the end where they entered;

Example Problem for Routing Heuristic

Shortest Path Problem with 9 Nodes

1st Sub-problem: Aisle 1 to 2

2nd Sub-problem: Aisle 2 to 3

2nd Sub-problem: Aisle 2 to 3


26

16

16

20

2nd Sub-problem: Aisle 2 to 3

3rd Sub-problem: Aisle 3 to 4

3rd Sub-problem: Aisle 3 to 4

4th Sub-problem: Aisle 4 to End

Shortest Path

Another Problem
For any problem, the

cross arcs will be the same The end arcs will change depending on the locations to visit

Can you find the shortest path for this?

How much is optimization worth?


Do we need to optimize routes when there are very

few items (1-3) in a pick order?

Why?

Do we need to optimize routes when there are very

many items (i.e. you need to visit almost every aisle multiple times) in a pick order?

Why?

Where is Optimal Routing most Beneficial?


Warehouses with many items, which are slow

moving Warehouses with orders of moderate size Examples


Hardware distribution centers Building supply warehouses Aftermarket auto parts to dealerships

Workflow & Balance


CHAPTER 11

Learning Objectives
Identify the steps to implementing a bucket brigade

to balance workload Identify the advantages of bucket brigades over other workload balancing policies

Self Organized Teams


Requires no central planning or higher authority.

It is adaptive, i.e. spontaneously adjusts to changes

in the environment

Bucket Brigades in Action

Sample Flow Line

Slower worker

Faster worker

Figure 11.3
Line self-balances at f(x).

Eventual Partition of Work Content


Slowest worker is green; fastest worker is red.

Fastest worker does more of the work.

Some Advantages of Bucket Brigades


Pure pull system, so WIP is controlled

Does not require accurate time studies


Support teams and grouping work cells Simple and easy for each worker to know what to do

Workers can usually put themselves in order of

slowest to fastest

Replacing Zones with Bucket Brigades

Distribution of Average Pick Rate


Before After Bucket Brigades

Bucket Brigades are most appropriate when


All work is based on a single skill, e.g. sewing,

making sandwiches Workers can easily move among stations and take over work in process Demand for product varies significantly

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