A supporting decision tool for the integrated planning of a logistic network

Design, management and control of a logistic distribution system are very critical issues in supply chain management. They involve a large number of interdependent decisions, such as the determination of the best location and capacity of a distribution center (DC), a production plant, a wholesaler etc., the allocation of customer demand to suppliers, e.g. regional DC (RDC), the adoption of a transportation mode, e.g. rail and truck, the vehicles routing adopting/not adopting a groupage strategy. This chapter presents an original and automatic supporting decisions platform for the integration of strategic (long-term), tactical (mid-term) and operational (short-term) decisions in the design, management and control of a logistic network including up to four operating levels: sources (production plants), central distribution centers (CDCs), RDCs, and customers. A case study is illustrated and obtained results discussed in presence of different problem settings and operating hypotheses.