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  • Service Attribute-Process Matrix: a tool for designing and managing services

    Gliatis, V. and Minis, I.

    Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, vol. 16, n. 3, 2007, 257-276.

    Abstract
    The growing importance of the service economy during the last 40 years has raised the need for new tools for designing and managing services. As a result, several authors have developed service classification systems, in order to better understand the nature of service operations and provide methods and tools to improve service efficiency and quality. This paper exploits the work resulting from service classification systems and identifies the principal attributes to be considered in service management. The tool introduced for this purpose is the service attribute-process matrix (SAPM), which uses selected results from existing service classification schemes to investigate the importance of the significant service attributes to major processes of the service life cycle.
    Post date: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 07:57
  • Single Vehicle Routing with a Predefined Customer Sequence and Multiple Depot Returns

    Tsirimpas, P., Tatarakis, A., Minis, I. And Kyriakidis, E.G.

    European Journal of Operations Research, vol. 187, n.2, 2007, 483 - 495.

    Abstract
    The optimal routing of a single vehicle with limited capacity that delivers one product to n clients according to a predefined client sequence can be determined using dynamic programming. In the present paper we propose and investigate three practical variations of this problem: (i) the case of multiple-product deliveries when each product is stored in its own compartment in the vehicle, (ii) the case of multiple-product deliveries when all products are stored together in the vehicle
    Post date: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 07:56
  • Contribution to the Design of the Athletes Bus Network During the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

    Minis, I., Keys, E. and Athanasopoulos, T.

    Transportation Research Part A, v. 40, n. 9, 2007, 776-791.

    Abstract
    This paper describes important aspects of the design of the Athletes transportation system for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The unique characteristics of this network include the close dependence of the vehicle schedules on the competition and training program, the requirement for 100% service reliability, as well as the requirement for full system monitoring and control. In this paper we present methods for the development of service specifications, estimation of the bus fleet size, the design of the network
    Post date: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 07:53
  • Towards a Dynamic Real-time Vehicle Management System for Urban Distribution

    Zeimpelis, V., Tatarakis, A., Giaglis, G.M. and Minis, I.

    International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, vol. 3, n. 3, 2007, 228-243.

    Abstract
    Urban distribution plans are typically designed a priori and are static in nature. Hence, they cannot cope with unexpected events that might occur during the plan execution, such as adverse traffic conditions or vehicle failures, thus leading to delays, higher costs and inferior customer service. This paper discusses the design considerations for a dynamic real-time Vehicle Management System (VMS) that aims at supporting logistics managers by monitoring the status of deliveries in real time and suggesting optimal re-routing strategies whenever needed due to uncontrollable external events. We present system requirements as elicited through a survey of 73 logistics companies in Greece. Drawing on these requirements, we define the architecture of the proposed system and formulate the scenarios addressed by the vehicle re-routing sub-system, which monitors distribution vehicles, detects deviations from the delivery schedule and adjusts the plan accordingly. The paper also discusses the technical implementation considerations for the implementation of the VMS in a real-life setting.
    Post date: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 07:52
  • Efficient Real Time Management of Goods Distribution to Clustered Clients

    Minis, I., Ampazis, N. and Mamassis, K.

    International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, vol. 3, n 3, 2007, 211-227.

    Abstract
    This paper focuses on real-time management of a delayed delivery vehicle. The vehicle's initial routing plan is modified to minimise the adverse impact of the delay by selecting the clients to serve and the clients for whom to defer delivery. This single vehicle re-planning problem is modelled based on the formulation of the well-known Orienteering Problem (OP). A novel approach is proposed to provide an efficient, near-optimal solution. This approach decomposes the problem into smaller sub-problems, taking advantage of the geographical distribution of clients into clusters (neighbourhoods and/or suburbs). The available vehicle time is distributed to each cluster by solving a non-linear optimisation problem. Within each cluster, an established OP heuristic is used to determine the clients to be served and the vehicle route. The proposed approach has been applied to large test cases, as well as to problem instances from actual distribution networks. The results indicate that in terms of solution quality the proposed method outperforms the methods used to solve the monolithic problem. Furthermore, the method is, in general, more efficient, especially in cases involving a large number of clients. Finally, computational times are short, indicating the suitability of the method for real-time applications.
    Post date: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 07:48