TRANSPORTATION OPTIMIZATION WITH EXCEL SOLVER

Abstract

This article is dedicated to transportation efficiency and the related problems. Its main goal is to analyse the effects that optimization can have on transportation efficiency and its ecological performances. This problem essentially refers to determining the most lucrative maximum quantity of commodity that can be loaded in a transportation vehicle. We used evolutionary algorithm in Excel solver to observe three different case studies. In all case studies a loading capacity of a transportation vehicle is limited and different constraints are set on an allowed and a required number of parcels to be transported. Moreover, the packages to be loaded on the given vehicle are divided into three categories based on their weight and price. The results obtained through this analysis indicate that the optimization can result in significant logistic, economic, and ecological effects. The optimization leads to maximum utilization of available loading capacities and maximum profit. When conducted in such a manner, transportation of goods becomes more efficient and thus environment-friendly. Furthermore, the model developed here is general in its nature so it can be employed to solve any transportation problem of the similar nature with minimum adjustments. Thus, it can find a wide-spread practical application.