Postgraduate Course: Operational Research in Logistics (MATH11182)
Course Outline
| School | School of Mathematics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 5 |
ECTS Credits | 2.5 |
| Summary | Logistics focuses on moving objects, e.g. goods, in space and time such that the right object is in the right quantity at the right time at the right place (for the right price in the right condition to the right customer). Classical logistics activities are
- the transportation of raw materials, subassemblies, and finished products between suppliers, factories, warehouses, distribution centres, and retailers (inbound shipments)
- the storage of goods
- the handling, order processing, and packaging of goods
- the distribution of goods from warehouses or retailers to customers (outbound shipments)
Typical goals in logistics are to maximize customer satisfaction (expressed through service levels, product quality, responsiveness, etc.) and to minimize total costs, environmental impact, and tied-up equity.
Logistics planners face many challenges, e.g.:
- Logistics goals are often conflicting, especially maximizing service levels and minimizing costs
- Logistics operations are subject to uncertain customer demands as well as supply uncertainties, e.g. because of varying transportation and production times, equipment breakdowns or labour strikes.
- Lack of information, resulting in sub-optimal and short-sighted decisions
- Organizing logistics activities across borders and cultures in multi-national companies
In 2012, the total expenditure for logistics activities in Europe was 1,726 billion Euros and thus even small improvements may result in considerable monetary gains. Starting in the 1950s, optimization techniques have been developed and used to optimize logistics activities, with an ever increasing importance, role and proliferation since then.
This course will focus on OR techniques for transportation, storage, and distribution problems. For each of them, we start with a brief introduction and a characterization of the different types of problems they encompass. Afterwards, we will derive mathematical models and algorithms for some classical problems, each accompanied by small case studies. |
| Course description |
1. Introduction to Logistics
2. Transportation Planning
- (Capacitated) Minimal Cost Network Flow Problems
- Multi-Product Minimal Cost Network Flow Problems
- Network Design Problems
3. Inventory Management
- Deterministic Inventory Systems with Continuous Demand
- Deterministic Inventory Systems with Discrete Demand
4. Distribution Planning
- The Travelling Salesman Problem
- Arc Routing Problems
- Vehicle Routing Problems
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Experience of MATLAB |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2016/17, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
50
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 1,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
34 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
80 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
20% continuous assessment and 80% examination |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Operational Research in Logistics | 1:30 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- identify different logistics activities and to characterize the specific problems
- apply existing models and algorithms to these problems
- modify or combine models
- understand the trade-off between exact methods and heuristics in logistics
- interpret a practical problem given in a case study and gather the relevant data from it
|
Reading List
- D. Simchi-Levi, P. Kaminski, E. Simchi-Levi, Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases, McGraw-Hill Education, 3rd Edition, 2007
- G. Ghiani, G. Laporte, R. Musmanno, Introduction to Logistics Systems Management, Wiley, 2nd Edition, 2013 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | ORL |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Joerg Kalcsics
Tel: (0131 6)50 5953
Email: Joerg.Kalcsics@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Frances Reid
Tel: (0131 6)50 4883
Email: f.c.reid@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2016 The University of Edinburgh - 3 February 2017 4:44 am
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