Scheduling of Inbound and Outbound Trucks in Retail Cross Docking Distribution Center by Heuristic Methods

Abstract

At present, retail business is growing rapidly leading to cross-docking distribution centersfacing with a problem of long waiting at an outbound dock. This problem is a result of an inefficienttruck scheduling and poor management in moving goods in distribution centers. This research aims topropose a method for moving goods in the cross docking distribution center and a heuristic method forscheduling inbound and outbound trucks in order to reduce a makespan. Heuristic method is applied forscheduling inbound and outbound truck. A simulation model by Silverlight application is also used toindicate movement conditions of goods through a mixed integer linear program to calculate the makespan.Result from this research shows that the heuristic method RS1-SS2 provides the best makespan 16 outof 20 sample problems. Heuristic method provides the makespan which is close or equal to the optimalmakespan calculated by enumeration method or it provides just 1.15 percent error and computation timeis less than 1 second.

Keywords : Cross Docking / Distribution Center / Makespan / Heuristic