Optimisation in Transport and Logistic Processes

Abstract

Nowadays logistics is a dynamically evolving discipline. According to definitions logistics is an inter-disciplinary science which improves the quality of business processes and which enables companies to react to demands of a market as well as of a customer faster. Today when a great emphasis is put on the quality and high level of provided services the application of optimisation methods in logistic processes is a necessity. The article addresses the optimisation of transport processes within a logistic chain. Generally, the optimisation methods are more and more frequently utilised to manage logistic chains because their results bring proposals to improve business processes. Advantages of optimisation methods include the reduction of costs of transport charges, storage or production processes. Besides an economic merit of the optimisation process there also increases the efficiency of time needed for logistic operations execution. The article aims to use the information obtained through an analysis of the current state of a selected part of a selected business’s logistic chain to prepare a proposal of measures within transport processes, and subsequently to evaluate them from the economic point of view. In order to achieve the goal the work must be divided into a theoretical-methodological part, and the application part. The aim of the optimisation is focused on a more effective utilisation of transport means, technologies and human resources. The application part contains an analysis of transport routes, and an optimisation using methods of an operational research. The work applies the Nearest Neighbour Methods and Vogel’s Approximation Method. The conclusion of the article presents an evaluation of optimised routes, their economic results and suggestions for business processes improvement.