Distribution System with Flow Consolidation at the Boundary of Urban Congested Areas

Serban Raicu,Stefan Burciu,Dorinela Costescu

doi:10.3390/su12030990

Serban Raicu, Stefan Burciu + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030990

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Abstract

This paper presents effective and efficient solutions for components of urban logistics. The specificity of such logistics and the multiple limitations led to particular solutions. However, they all share one common feature—the flow consolidation in different variants. This study considers the flow consolidation at the boundary of urban congested areas, through horizontal collaboration between logistic platforms. This way, the urban distribution centers (UDCs) receive all the goods according to the orders addressed to each producer (or group in case of “on-going consolidations”). Deliveries are addressed to a single logistic platform. Thus, the flow consolidation is achieved. Each logistic platform receives part of the consumer goods intended for commercialization, but through collaboration between them (freight exchanges), all the warehouses of the producers have all the ordered goods. Dedicated management of logistics platforms and warehouses within each UDC ensures the confidentiality of distributor data. Three scenarios are presented concerning the same pattern of flow addressed to each UDC. These scenarios differ by the accessibility of the logistics platforms and by the connection between them (due to infrastructure development). The methodology of choosing the variants for composing the flow sent from each logistics platform considered the minimization of transfer times to UDC warehouses. Synthetic indicators allow for comparison between the analyzed scenarios.

Highlights

Freight transport within cities, due to its importance in the economic functioning of the city as well as through its positive and negative impacts on the inhabitant life quality, is a major challenge
The flow of goods related to urban logistics, by size, frequency and structure are considered as being part of the large distribution [8,9,10,11], characterized by a flexible movement logic specific to the consumer goods of large or medium series, but very differentiated
Urban logistics by the large number of origins and destinations of goods flow, by the extremely large variety of the flow structure, by the delivery requirements, as well as by the number of actors involved is a sophisticated logistic. The attributes of this logic, regarding consumer goods commercialized in urban areas, under the increased demands of sustainable development, has encouraged us to find effective and efficient solutions

Summary

Introduction

Due to its importance in the economic functioning of the city as well as through its positive and negative impacts on the inhabitant life quality, is a major challenge. The flow of goods related to urban logistics, by size, frequency and structure are considered as being part of the large distribution [8,9,10,11], characterized by a flexible movement logic specific to the consumer goods (agri-food products, confections, household equipment, etc.) of large or medium series, but very differentiated (high number of references in a range). This type of distribution requires sophisticated logistics: fast transport, reliable, and flexible [12,13]. The use of information systems, and the modern means of communication, as well as the high frequency of shipments, complete the attributes of the large distribution for which, from the transportation viewpoint, outsourced road transport is required, with just-in-time deliveries [14,15]

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