M.T. Melo

Bio: M.T. Melo is an academic researcher from Fraunhofer Society. The author has contributed to research in topics: Facility location problem & Supply chain. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 5 publications receiving 2080 citations.

Location Software and Interface with GIS and Supply Chain Management

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to bridge the gap between location theory and practice. To meet this objective focus is given to the development of software capable of addressing the different needs of a wide group of users. There is a very active community on location theory encompassing many research fields such as operations research, computer science, mathematics, engineering, geography, economics and marketing. As a result, people working on facility location problems have a very diverse background and also different needs regarding the software to solve these problems. For those interested in non-commercial applications (e. g. students and researchers), the library of location algorithms (LoLA can be of considerable assistance. LoLA contains a collection of efficient algorithms for solving planar, network and discrete facility location problems. In this paper, a detailed description of the functionality of LoLA is presented. In the fields of geography and marketing, for instance, solving facility location problems requires using large amounts of demographic data. Hence, members of these groups (e. g. urban planners and sales managers) often work with geographical information too s. To address the specific needs of these users, LoLA was inked to a geographical information system (GIS) and the details of the combined functionality are described in the paper. Finally, there is a wide group of practitioners who need to solve large problems and require special purpose software with a good data interface. Many of such users can be found, for example, in the area of supply chain management (SCM). Logistics activities involved in strategic SCM include, among others, facility location planning. In this paper, the development of a commercial location software tool is also described. The too is embedded in the Advanced Planner and Optimizer SCM software developed by SAP AG, Walldorf, Germany. The paper ends with some conclusions and an outlook to future activities.

Largescale models for dynamic multicommodity capacitated facility location

Abstract: In this paper we focus on the strategic design of supply chain networks We propose a mathematical modeling framework that captures many practical aspects of network design problems simultaneously but which have not received adequate attention in the literature The aspects considered include: dynamic planning horizon, generic supply chain network structure, external supply of materials, inventory opportunities for goods, distribution of commodities, facility configuration, availability of capital for investments, and storage limitations Moreover, network configuration decisions concerning the gradual relocation of facilities over the planning horizon are considered To cope with fluctuating demands, capacity expansion and reduction scenarios are also analyzed as well as modular capacity shifts The relation of the proposed modeling framework with existing models is discussed For problems of reasonable size we report on our computational experience with standard mathematical programming software In particular, useful insights on the impact of various factors on network design decisions are provided

Mathematical Programming Models for Strategic Supply Chain Planning and Design

Abstract: Although facility location and configuration of global manufacturing and distribution networks have been studied formany years, a number of important real world issues has not received adequate attention in the literature. In this paper we propose realistic models for the strategic planning and design of global supply chains. Our main concern is to provide comprehensive models which explicitly capture the essential elements of many industrial environments. A generic mathematical programming model is described in detail which became part of Supply Chain Design, a module within mySApTM Supply Chain Management, developed by SAPAG. Moreover, extensions to the dynamic situation are discussed.