Study On Scheduling Of Trucks Optimization In Distribution Center Based On Cross-docking

More and more retail chain supermarkets improve their service level and reducecost by outsourcing logistics business. How to better satisfy the supermarkets’demands for distribution time, commodity quality, cost reduction and realize itselfprofit is studied by distribution center who undertakes logistics business. Unifiedmanagement known as Cross-docking is applied for certain commodities which needto be detached out of a parcel and sorted to designated area, whose retention time islimited strictly. One truck can accomplish one more stores’ distribution task. The mostimportant character of Cross-docking is to send commodity out of warehouse quicklyby deleting or reducing storage time greatly.Based on the prototype of T distribution center serving for J supermarket, themajor contents are as follows:1. The basic concepts about Cross-docking were clarified. The research status ofthe scheduling problem of trucks in Cross-docking model was reviewed in detail.2. Through analyzing the internal layout and operation process in Cross-dockingoperation area in distribution center, the low automation level which only can meet alimited number of commodities’ distribution task requirement was found. To increasethe quantity of sorted commodities, improving the facilities layout in distributioncenter and introducing new equipments was very important. On that basis, the truckarrival sequence was determined to minimize total retention time.3. A Cross-docking automation plan without temporary storage area indistribution center was proposed and a distribution center layout diagram was drawn.The course of unloading and sorting were regarded as two stage flow shop, applyingthe Johnson Algorithm to solve the problem of minimizing working hour ofcommodities (work piece). According to a distribution center’ excel order data, theminimum time required for sorting all the batch of commodities was calculated, andthe optimum sequence of inbound trucks was obtained, which can provide guidancefor Cross-docking practice of company. The total residence time of all commoditiesand the facilities’ utilization rates were shown by the simulation results of numericalexperiments by Flexsim. 4. In order to meet the sorting needs for growing amount of the supermarketorders, a new Cross-docking model including shelf was introduced. A three-stageoperation model was rebuilt, and the network technology was applied to obtain theoptimal inbound truck arrival sequence. Two models’ difference in the aspects of timewas compared after simulation. The improved model was interpreted forCross-docking practical reference.