IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/annopr/v302y2021i1d10.1007_s10479-021-04034-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimal selection of third-party logistics providers using integer programming: a case study of a furniture company storage and distribution

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammed Alnahhal

    (American University of Ras Al Khaimah)

  • Mosab I. Tabash

    (Al Ain University)

  • Diane Ahrens

    (Technische Hochschule Deggendorf)

Abstract

This paper investigates the selection of third-party logistics providers (3PLs) based on the best prices offered by them. The focus is on outbound logistics where 3PLs must have their own distribution centres for storage and picking activities. They must also have suitable trucks for distribution to different small-scale customers. The motivation for this paper is a case study from Germany in which a furniture company with hundreds of small customers in ten zones is seeking one or more 3PLs to do the distribution. A mathematical programming model was built based on integer programming where demand per order can be expressed using exponential distribution in each customer zone. The main contribution of this paper is that it finds the best 3PLs based on the different pricing methods of the various providers; this means including the location problem indirectly using the new integer programming model. The model takes into consideration three different methods of pricing based on the offers of five 3PLs. These different methods make it difficult for the decision makers to choose the best solution, especially if specific trends in demand are expected in the future for some customer zones. The results show that future increases in demand in terms of the number of orders or order size could affect the optimal solution. The best pricing method with the lowest variability in cost over time is selected.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammed Alnahhal & Mosab I. Tabash & Diane Ahrens, 2021. "Optimal selection of third-party logistics providers using integer programming: a case study of a furniture company storage and distribution," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 302(1), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:302:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10479-021-04034-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10479-021-04034-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10479-021-04034-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10479-021-04034-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhaofang Mao & Dian Huang & Kan Fang & Chengbo Wang & Dandan Lu, 2020. "Milk-run routing problem with progress-lane in the collection of automobile parts," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 291(1), pages 657-684, August.
    2. Kwame Owusu Kwateng & John Frimpong Manso & Richard Osei-Mensah, 2014. "Outbound Logistics Management In Manufacturing Companies In Ghana," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 5(1), pages 83-92.
    3. Chung-Piaw Teo & Jia Shu, 2004. "Warehouse-Retailer Network Design Problem," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 52(3), pages 396-408, June.
    4. Carlos A. Vega-Mejía & Jairo R. Montoya-Torres & Sardar M. N. Islam, 2019. "Consideration of triple bottom line objectives for sustainability in the optimization of vehicle routing and loading operations: a systematic literature review," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 273(1), pages 311-375, February.
    5. Adarsh Kumar Singh & Nachiappan Subramanian & Kulwant Singh Pawar & Ruibin Bai, 2018. "Cold chain configuration design: location-allocation decision-making using coordination, value deterioration, and big data approximation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 270(1), pages 433-457, November.
    6. Hanbazazah, Abdulkader S. & Abril, Luis & Erkoc, Murat & Shaikh, Nazrul, 2019. "Freight consolidation with divisible shipments, delivery time windows, and piecewise transportation costs," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 276(1), pages 187-201.
    7. Jagannath Roy & Dragan Pamučar & Samarjit Kar, 2020. "Evaluation and selection of third party logistics provider under sustainability perspectives: an interval valued fuzzy-rough approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 293(2), pages 669-714, October.
    8. R.K. Cheung & B. Muralidharan, 1999. "Impact of dynamic decision making on hub‐and‐spoke freight transportationnetworks," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 87(0), pages 49-71, April.
    9. Jayaram, Jayanth & Tan, Keah-Choon, 2010. "Supply chain integration with third-party logistics providers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(2), pages 262-271, June.
    10. Melo, M.T. & Nickel, S. & Saldanha-da-Gama, F., 2009. "Facility location and supply chain management - A review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(2), pages 401-412, July.
    11. Gray, Ann E. & Karmarkar, Uday S. & Seidmann, Abraham, 1992. "Design and operation of an order-consolidation warehouse: Models and application," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 14-36, April.
    12. Jenn-Rong Lin & Linda Nozick & Mark Turnquist, 2006. "Strategic design of distribution systems with economies of scale in transportation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 161-180, April.
    13. Rajesh Kr. Singh & Angappa Gunasekaran & Pravin Kumar, 2018. "Third party logistics (3PL) selection for cold chain management: a fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 267(1), pages 531-553, August.
    14. Ambrosino, Daniela & Grazia Scutella, Maria, 2005. "Distribution network design: New problems and related models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(3), pages 610-624, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mohammed Alnahhal & Bashir Salah & Mohammed Ruzayqat, 2022. "An Efficient Approach to Investigate the Tradeoff between Double Handling and Needed Capacity in Automated Distribution Centers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, June.
    2. Martin Straka, 2021. "Design of a Computer-Aided Location Expert System Based on a Mathematical Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-25, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Melo, M.T. & Nickel, S. & Saldanha-da-Gama, F., 2009. "Facility location and supply chain management - A review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(2), pages 401-412, July.
    2. Walther, Grit & Schatka, Anne & Spengler, Thomas S., 2012. "Design of regional production networks for second generation synthetic bio-fuel – A case study in Northern Germany," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(1), pages 280-292.
    3. Tim Gruchmann & Nadine Pratt & Jan Eiten & Ani Melkonyan, 2020. "4PL Digital Business Models in Sea Freight Logistics: The Case of FreightHub," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Holzapfel, Andreas & Potoczki, Tobias & Kuhn, Heinrich, 2023. "Designing the breadth and depth of distribution networks in the retail trade," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    5. Wenjun Ni & Jia Shu & Miao Song & Dachuan Xu & Kaike Zhang, 2021. "A Branch-and-Price Algorithm for Facility Location with General Facility Cost Functions," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 33(1), pages 86-104, January.
    6. Yu Li & Jia Shu & Xi Wang & Naihua Xiu & Dachuan Xu & Jiawei Zhang, 2013. "Approximation Algorithms for Integrated Distribution Network Design Problems," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 25(3), pages 572-584, August.
    7. Shuangyan Li & Xialian Li & Dezhi Zhang & Lingyun Zhou, 2017. "Joint Optimization of Distribution Network Design and Two-Echelon Inventory Control with Stochastic Demand and CO2 Emission Tax Charges," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.
    8. Tönissen, D.D. & Arts, J.J., 2020. "The stochastic maintenance location routing allocation problem for rolling stock," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    9. Sheu, Jiuh Biing & Kundu, Tanmoy, 2018. "Forecasting time-varying logistics distribution flows in the One Belt-One Road strategic context," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 5-22.
    10. Ben Mohamed, Imen & Klibi, Walid & Sadykov, Ruslan & Şen, Halil & Vanderbeck, François, 2023. "The two-echelon stochastic multi-period capacitated location-routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 645-667.
    11. Alejandro Montoya & Mario C. Vélez–Gallego & Juan G. Villegas, 2016. "Multi-product capacitated facility location problem with general production and building costs," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 47-70, July.
    12. Zhong, Yuanguang & Shu, Jia & Xie, Wei & Zhou, Yong-Wu, 2018. "Optimal trade credit and replenishment policies for supply chain network design," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 26-37.
    13. Wu, Ting & Shen, Houcai & Zhu, Cheng, 2015. "A multi-period location model with transportation economies-of-scale and perishable inventory," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 343-349.
    14. Karaoglan, Ismail & Altiparmak, Fulya & Kara, Imdat & Dengiz, Berna, 2012. "The location-routing problem with simultaneous pickup and delivery: Formulations and a heuristic approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 465-477.
    15. Lehilton L. C. Pedrosa & Maxim Sviridenko, 2018. "Integrated Supply Chain Management via Randomized Rounding," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 30(1), pages 124-136, February.
    16. Anne Lange & Werner Delfmann, 2017. "Network concentration indices for less-than-truckload transportation," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1475-1497, November.
    17. Jia Shu, 2010. "An Efficient Greedy Heuristic for Warehouse-Retailer Network Design Optimization," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(2), pages 183-192, May.
    18. Tancrez, Jean-Sébastien & Lange, Jean-Charles & Semal, Pierre, 2012. "A location-inventory model for large three-level supply chains," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 485-502.
    19. Darmawan, Agus & Wong, Hartanto & Thorstenson, Anders, 2021. "Supply chain network design with coordinated inventory control," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    20. Anchal Gupta & Rajesh Kumar Singh & Sachin Kr Mangla, 2022. "Evaluation of logistics providers for sustainable service quality: Analytics based decision making framework," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 315(2), pages 1617-1664, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:302:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10479-021-04034-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.