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Integrated Planning in Hybrid Courier Operations

Ninikas, G., Athanasopoulos, T., Zeimpekis, V., Minis, I.,

International Journal of Logistics Management (IJLM), 2013.

Abstract
Purpose - We present the design and evaluation of an integrated system that supports planners and dispatchers to deliver enhanced courier operations. In addition to regular deliveries and pickups, these operations include: a) Mass deliveries to be served over a horizon of multiple days, and b) real-time dynamic requests to be served within the same service period.
Design/methodology/approach – To address the aforementioned challenges, we developed an architecture that enhances a typical fleet management system by integrating purpose designed methods. Specifically, we plan mass deliveries taking into account typical routes of everyday operations. For planning dynamic requests in real time, we propose an efficient insertion heuristic.
Findings – The results from testing the proposed optimization algorithms for planning mass deliveries and real-time dynamic requests are encouraging, since the proposed algorithms outperform current practices. Testing in a practical courier environment, indicated that the enhanced planning system may improve significantly operational performance
Research limitations/implications – The proposed optimization algorithm for the dynamic aspect of this problem comprises a heuristic approach that reaches suboptimal solutions of high quality. The development of fast optimal algorithms for solving these very interesting and practical problems is a promising area for further research.
Practical implications - The proposed integrated system addresses significant problems of hybrid courier operations in an integrated, balanced manner. Our tests showed that the allocation of flexible orders within a three-day time horizon improved the cost per flexible order by 7,4%, while computerized routing improved the cost of initial (static) routing by 14%. Furthermore, the proposed method for managing dynamic requests reduced the excess cost per served request by over 40%. Overall, the proposed integrated system improved the total routing costs by 16,5% on average compared to current practices.
Originality/value – Both the planning problems and the related solution heuristics address original aspects of practical courier operations. Furthermore, the system integration and the proposed systematic planning contribute to the originality of the work.
Keywords Express logistics, fleet management systems, re-planning in vehicle routing, multi-period vehicle routing
Paper type Research paper

Post date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 11:21
Lab Report, 2012-08

Caiazza, R., Minis, I.

“Evaluating Benefits of Sport Mega-Events on the Host Cities: Effects of the 34th Americas΄ s Cup on Naples”

Accepted for publication in Chinese Business Review, ISSN 1537-1506, vol. 11, n. 10, 849-854, 2012.

Post date: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - 09:26
Evaluating Benefits of Sport Mega-Events on the Host Cities: Effects of the 34th Americas΄ s Cup on Naples

Caiazza, R., Minis, I.

Accepted for publication in Chinese Business Review, ISSN 1537-1506, vol. 11, n. 10, 849-854, 2012.

Abstract

Sport tourism events refer to sport activities with potential to attract tourists, media, athletes, and other sporting officials, with the primary purpose for travel being articipating in or viewing sport. Sport mega-events, such as America’s Cup, have been recognized as a strong component of tourism, and are becoming an integral and major part of tourism development and marketing strategies. As a catalyst for change, sport mega-events can accelerate the host city economic, political, and social development. This paper focuses on the case of the 34th America’s Cup for Naples. In order to evaluate the benefits of this event on the city, the authors first propose a general framework of main benefits that sport mega-events may bring to host cities, and subsequently, the authors applied this framework to the Naples case.
Keywords: America’s Cup, tourism management, sport mega-events

Post date: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - 09:19
Lab Reprot, 2012-07

Diploma Thesis Title:

A Cutting Plane Method for the Team Orienteering Problem with Pickups, Deliveries, Time Windows and Capacity Constraints

Konstantinos Tavlaridis - Gyparakis

Post date: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 12:10
Green Infermodal Freight Transport - GIFT
Project Duration:

30 months (April 2012 - August 2014)

Project Partners:

TRAINOSE S.A. (Greece) , Regional Inter-University Consortium of Apulia Region (Italy), Democenter-Sipe S.c.r.l. (Italy), National Company - The Maritime Danube Ports Administration SA Galati (Romania), Institute of Traffic and Transport Ljubljana l.l.c. (Slovenia), Verona Innovation - Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Verona (Italy), IFKA Public Foundation for the development of Industry (Hungary), EAMA - Executive Agency Maritime Administration (Bulgaria), Luka Koper, Port and Logistics System (Slovenia), CER Hungary Central European Railway Cargo (Hungary), Port of Baja (Hungary),Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry Krusevac (Serbia), KIP - Klaster intermodalnog prijevoza (Intermodal Transport Cluster) (Croatia), Institute of Transport (Albania).

Sponsor:

Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks (Greece)

1. Scope

The main aim of the GIFT project is to map, analyze, and evaluate the status of the transport sector in the GIFT transport network and propose new policies and strategies in infrastructure, processes, assets, ICT, legislation, norms and harmonization/ standardization issues, in order to promote innovative green intermodal freight transport corridors. GIFT project drills down in three Pan-European Transport Corridors, namely IV, V and VII that cover almost the entire SEE region.

2. Approach
- The methodological approach of the GIFT project can be summarized as followsIdentification of current status and inefficiencies in the GIFT network: a) Review of current status of the freight transport network, b) Review of current policies in traffic decongestion, and green transport, c) Benchmarking on current green KPIs, funding mechanisms, licensing and state support, as well as current intermodal transport processes and best practices, d) Identification of inefficiencies and users needs.
- Synthesis of proposals regarding new policies and strategies in intermodal freight transport: a) Formation of policies and financing tools for full integration and interoperability of individual modes of transport as well as between intermodal networks, b) Involvement of the private sector in the development of new infrastructures, c) Exploitation of the full potential of SSS & river transport,d) Use of ICT services for creating intelligent logistics hubs & consolidation strategies.
- Proposals for the formation of Green Intermodal Freigh Transport Cluster responsible for the requirements elicitation of the key main transport stakeholders, support a transnational and fully interoperative development of the 3 PECs andl promote green transport. Other aspects that were investigated and proposed are incentives/ financial instruments for corridors upgrade and improvement.
- Design & implementation of a Green Observatory web system for monitoring and assessing the CO2 footprint of the transport activity in the proposed green corridors.
- Creation of a roadmap for intermodal transport sustainability and further development: a) Infrastructure (e.g. missing rail connections, investment in ports, missing road links), b) business infrastructure (warehouses, logistics centers), c) ICT investments, and d) business incentives.
3. Results

GIFT project contributed significantly in defining efficient green transport corridors through the SEE region. In first instance the knowledge about the current transport network and policies was improved. Policy makers, industry players and institutions, had the opportunity to exchange views and support the collaboration between key transport players A major output of the discussion platforms was the generation of proposals for further development of the 3 PECs that GIFT project investigated. Furthermore, GIFT project developed innovative tools to support Green intermodal transport, including: a) an innovative web tool (green observatory) that was used for monitoring the CO2 footprint of the 3 PECs, and b) benchmarking and assessment tools for the evaluation of selected corridors. Last but not least, various tools for the dissemination and communication activities of the project were developed.
Post date: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 13:26

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