Enhanced supply selection for better initial basic feasible solutions in transportation problems.

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Optimization Techniques
• Supply Chain Management

Background:

• The Transportation Problem (TP) is a key optimization model for logistics.
• Generating an accurate Initial Basic Feasible Solution (IBFS) is critical for TP efficiency.
• Existing IBFS methods like SSM, VAM, BCE, JHM, and TOCM-MT may not yield optimal low-cost solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Rihan-Bilqis-Saikhu Method (RBSM) for solving the TP.
• To address the limitations of current IBFS methods in producing cost-effective initial solutions.
• To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the TP optimization process.

Main Methods:

• The proposed Rihan-Bilqis-Saikhu Method (RBSM) is a heuristic modification of the Supply Selection Method (SSM).
• RBSM incorporates total cost-supply considerations for each cell during allocation.
• It refines reallocation rules for surplus allocations to rows with shortages.

Main Results:

• RBSM was tested on 42 diverse cases (published, random, and real-world).
• RBSM achieved optimal solutions in 85.71% of test cases (36 out of 42).
• The method demonstrated the lowest average deviation (0.58%) from optimal costs compared to other methods.

Conclusions:

• RBSM significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of finding initial feasible solutions for the TP.
• The method's integration of cost-supply and refined reallocation rules contribute to its superior performance.
• RBSM offers a reliable and effective approach for optimizing transportation logistics across various scenarios.