TRANSPORTATION AND

ASSIGNMENT MODEL

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 Chapter 6, Part A
Distribution and Network Models

 Transportation Problem
• Network Representation
• General LP Formulation
 Assignment Problem
• Network Representation
• General LP Formulation
 Transshipment Problem
• Network Representation
• General LP Formulation

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 Transportation, Assignment, and
Transshipment Problems

 A network model is one which can be represented

by a set of nodes, a set of arcs, and functions (e.g.
costs, supplies, demands, etc.) associated with the
arcs and/or nodes.

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 Transportation Problem

 The transportation problem seeks to minimize the

total shipping costs of transporting goods from m
origins (each with a supply si) to n destinations
(each with a demand dj), when the unit shipping
cost from an origin, i, to a destination, j, is cij.

 The network representation for a transportation

problem with two sources and three destinations is
given on the next slide.

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 Transportation Problem

 Network Representation

1 d1
c11
s1 1 c12
c13
2 d2
c21

s2 2 c22
c23
3 d3

Sources Destinations

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 Transportation Problem: Example #1

Acme Block Company has orders for 80 tons of

concrete blocks at three suburban locations as follows:
Northwood -- 25 tons, Westwood -- 45 tons, and
Eastwood -- 10 tons. Acme has two plants, each of
which can produce 50 tons per week. Delivery cost per
ton from each plant to each suburban location is shown
on the next slide.
How should end of week shipments be made to fill
the above orders?

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 Transportation Problem: Example #1

 Delivery Cost Per Ton

Northwood Westwood Eastwood

Plant 1 24 30 40
Plant 2 30 40 42

Decision Variables. the tons of concrete blocks, xij , to be

shipped from source i to destination j.

Northwood Westwood Eastwood

Plant 1 x11 x12 x13
Plant 1 x21 x22 x23
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 Transportation Problem: Example #2

 Define the Objective Function

Minimize the total shipping cost.
Min: (shipping cost per ton for each origin to
destination) × (number of pounds shipped from
each origin to each destination).
Min: 24x11 + 30x12 + 40x13 + 30x21 + 40x22 + 42x23

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 Transportation Problem: Example #2
= Constraints
 Define the Constraints
Supply constraints:
(1) x11 + x12 + x13 = 50
(2) x21 + x22 + x23 = 50

Demand constraints:
(4) x11 + x21 = 25
(5) x12 + x22 = 45
(6) x13 + x23 = 10
Non-negativity of variables:
xij > 0, i = 1, 2 and j = 1, 2, 3

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 Transportation Problem: Example #2
≤ and ≥ Constraints
 Define the Constraints
Supply constraints:
(1) x11 + x12 + x13 ≤ 50
(2) x21 + x22 + x23 ≤ 50

Demand constraints:
(4) x11 + x21 ≥ 25
(5) x12 + x22 ≥ 45
(6) x13 + x23 ≥ 10
Non-negativity of variables:
xij > 0, i = 1, 2 and j = 1, 2, 3

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 Assignment Problem

 An assignment problem seeks to minimize the total

cost assignment of m workers to m jobs, given that the
cost of worker i performing job j is cij.
 It assumes all workers are assigned and each job is
performed.
 An assignment problem is a special case of a
transportation problem in which all supplies and all
demands are equal to 1; hence assignment problems
may be solved as linear programs.
 The network representation of an assignment problem
with three workers and three jobs is shown on the
next slide.

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 Assignment Problem

 Network Representation

c11
1 1
c12
c13
Agents Tasks
c21
c22
2 2
c23
c31
c32
3 c33 3

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 Assignment Problem: Example

An electrical contractor pays his subcontractors a

fixed fee plus mileage for work performed. On a given
day the contractor is faced with three electrical jobs
associated with various projects. Given below are the
distances between the subcontractors and the projects.
Projects
Subcontractor A B C
Westside 50 36 16
Federated 28 30 18
Goliath 35 32 20
Universal 25 25 14
How should the contractors be assigned so that total
mileage is minimized?

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 Assignment Problem: Example

 Network Representation
50
West. A
36
Subcontractors 16 Projects
28
Fed.
30 B
18
35 32

Gol. C
20
25 25
Univ.
14

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 Assignment Problem: Example

 Linear Programming Formulation

Min 50x11+36x12+16x13+28x21+30x22+18x23
+35x31+32x32+20x33+25x41+25x42+14x43
s.t. x11+x12+x13 < 1
x21+x22+x23 < 1
Agents
x31+x32+x33 < 1
x41+x42+x43 < 1
x11+x21+x31+x41 = 1
x12+x22+x32+x42 = 1 Tasks
x13+x23+x33+x43 = 1
xij = 0 or 1 for all i and j

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 Assignment Problem: Example

 Linear Programming Formulation

Min 50x11+36x12+16x13+28x21+30x22+18x23
+35x31+32x32+20x33+25x41+25x42+14x43
s.t. x11+x12+x13 < 1
x21+x22+x23 < 1
Agents
x31+x32+x33 < 1
x41+x42+x43 < 1
x11+x21+x31+x41 ≥ 1
x12+x22+x32+x42 ≥ 1 Tasks
x13+x23+x33+x43 ≥ 1
xij = 0 or 1 for all i and j

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