A Review on Quantitative Approaches for Dock Door Assignment in Cross-Docking

Cross docking is a relatively new technique in supply chain operations. It offers limited storage time to maximize the efficiency of goods transshipment. Efficient operation of a cross docking system requires an appropriate coordination of inbound and outbound flows, accurate planning and dynamic scheduling.  The planning strategies at cross docking terminals, which are receiving growing attention today, are the truck-to-door assignment and destination to door assignment problems. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of quantitative approaches in dock door assignment problems of cross docking planning. The contributions of this paper are to identify the gap of knowledge in operational levels mainly in dock door assignment and to point out the future research direction in cross docking

Analysis of factors affecting crossdock operations using computer simulation.

Wong, Wing Shuet.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).Abstract also in Chinese.Table Of Contents --- p.iTables of Figures and Tables --- p.viChapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- Distribution Strategies --- p.1Chapter 1.2 --- Motivation --- p.7Chapter 1.3 --- Problem Description --- p.9Chapter 1.4 --- Contributions --- p.11Chapter 1.5 --- Conclusion --- p.12Chapter Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.13Chapter 2.1 --- Crossdocking in the supply chain --- p.13Chapter 2.2 --- Simulation of crossdocking --- p.16Chapter 2.3 --- Mathematic programming in crossdocking --- p.17Chapter 2.4 --- Conclusion --- p.29Chapter Chapter 3. --- Model Approach and Assumptions --- p.30Chapter 3.1 --- Simulation Modeling --- p.30Chapter 3.2 --- Model Assumptions --- p.31Chapter 3.3 --- Crossdocking in Arena® -Modules --- p.36Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.43Chapter Chapter 4. --- Simulation Design --- p.44Chapter 4.1 --- Factors in Simulation --- p.44Chapter 4.2 --- Experimental Design --- p.53Chapter 4.3 --- Performance Measures --- p.56Chapter 4.4 --- Conclusion --- p.57Chapter Chapter 5. --- Results and Analysis --- p.58Chapter 5.1 --- Mean Hourly Throughput per Forklift (MTF) --- p.58Chapter 5.2 --- Mean Handling Time per Pallet (MHP) --- p.63Chapter 5.3 --- Comparison with original results --- p.65Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.68Chapter Chapter 6. --- Conclusion and Recommendations For Future Work --- p.82Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.82Chapter 6.2 --- Future research directions --- p.84References --- p.8

Dock Assignment and Truck Scheduling Problems at Cross-docking Terminals

In this paper, we consider the integration of dock assignment and truck scheduling problem at cross-docking terminals. The problem is first formulated as a 0-1 integer programming model. Since both dock assignment and truck scheduling problems are NP-hard, its integration is more difficult to solve. Thus we propose reduced variable neighborhood search (RVNS) algorithms to solve the problem. Computational experiments are carried out on four set of instances. The results show that RVNS is capable of finding good solutions in a much shorter computation time when it is compared with optimization solver Gurobi’s solutions

Cross-docking: A systematic literature review

This paper identifies the major research concepts, techniques, and models covered in the cross-docking literature. A systematic literature review is conducted using the BibExcel bibliometric analysis and Gephi network analysis tools. A research focus parallelship network (RFPN) analysis and keyword co-occurrence network (KCON) analysis are used to identify the primary research themes. The RFPN results suggest that vehicle routing, inventory control, scheduling, warehousing, and distribution are most studied. Of the optimization and simulation techniques applied in cross-docking, linear and integer programming has received much attention. The paper informs researchers interested in investigating cross-docking through an integrated perspective of the research gaps in this domain. This paper systematically reviews the literature on cross-docking, identifies the major research areas, and provides a survey of the techniques and models adopted by researchers in the areas related to cross-docking

A Review: Mathematical Modles for Cross Docking Planning

This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of mathematical models in cross docking planning. From the reviews, the models are classified in three different levels regarding its decisions level which are operational, tactical, and strategic level. The researches in operational level are mainly related to develop model in scheduling, dock door assignment, transhipment problem, vehicle routing, and product allocation. For tactical and strategic level, the researches are mainly proposing model to design the layout and the network of cross docking respectively. The contribution of this paper is to realize the gaps of knowledge in strategic, tactical and operational levels and point out the future research directions in cross docking

Optimization Models for Locating Cross-docks under Capacity Uncertainty

The objective of this thesis is to develop mathematical models for locating cross-docks in a supply chain. Cross-docking is a strategy which can help consolidate the goods in the supply chain and save costs by reducing the number of truck trips. In this thesis four optimization models were developed. First two optimization models termed Model A and Model B were deterministic models. The goal of model A was to choose exactly P locations to locate cross-docks so that the transportation and handling costs are minimized. The goal of model B is to locate as many cross-docks as needed so that total routing, handling, and facility location costs are minimized. Then we developed a chance constraint model and a recourse model which accounted for capacity uncertainties at cross-dock location. The chance constraint model accounts for day to day operational uncertainties whereas the recourse model accounts to drastic reductions in capacities due to disruptions. Extensive computational analysis was conducted on two networks with parameters consistent with real world freight operations. The results reveal that cross-docking provides significant savings when the demand sizes are small and there is more potential for consolidation. For larger demands where the potential for consolidation is less, cross-dock savings diminish. The results were found to be consistent across a variety of capacity uncertainty scenarios

Just-in-Time Retail Distribution:A Systems Perspective on Cross-Docking

Cross-docking is a just-in-time strategy for distribution logistics. It is aimed at reducing inventory levels and distribution lead times by creating a seamless flow of products from suppliers to customers. Prior supply chain literature has argued that creating such a seamless product flows requires a holistic view on cross-docking management, aimed at synchronizing cross-docking operations at the distribution center with its inbound and outbound network logistics. This paper provides an in-depth case study illustrating how cross-docking operations can be managed more holistically in a retail distribution context. A discrete event simulation model has been developed to understand and improve the cross-docking operations of a large grocery retailer in The Netherlands. The model is used to quantitatively evaluate two proposed changes that exploit opportunities in the design and control of the retailer’s distribution network. An extensive real-world data set is used as input to the model. Overall, the case and simulation results show that a holistic cross-docking management approach can indeed improve system-wide performance, which further stresses the importance of making cross-dock operational decisions making and network decisions together