The Synchronized Location-Transshipment Problem

To improve efficiency and sustainability in synchromodal logistics, it becomes crucial to mitigate the disruptive effects caused by non-synchronized operations. In this work, we study the Synchronized Location-Transshipment Problem in which the decisions on the facilities to select are fundamental to ensure the synchronization of flows and the correct exploiting of just-in-time logistics and cross-docking operations. We propose a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming formulation for the problem and perform an economic analysis to address several realistic situations based on different sizes of the transshipment facilities and location types. The results of the tests allow us to derive managerial insights and to define future research lines.