1. Transportation and Assignment Models
Chapter 9
Transportation and Assignment Models

3. The Transportation Problem
To find the most economical way of allocating m sources to n destinations.
Given:
Capacity of each source;
Demand of each destination;
Transportation cost to ship one unit from a source to a destination.

4. Solving Transportation Problem
The methods in textbook 9.5, and 9.6 are for doing by hand.
– Do not worry about them.
Management users use computer software ‘QM for Windows’. (p )
– We use this method!

5. An Example of Transportation #25, p.384
Destination A
Destination B
Destination C
Supply capacity
Source 1
$8/unit
$9/unit
$4/unit
72 units
Source 2
$5/unit
$6/unit
38 units
Source 3
$7/unit
46 units
Source 4
$3/unit
19 units
Demand
110 units
34 units
31 units

6. Unbalanced Transp. Problem
Where total supply ≠ total demand
Solve the problem same way as for the balanced transportation problem
Dummy source / dummy destination

7. Prohibited Route
If a route is prohibited to use, just set the unit transportation cost of that route to a large number.

8. The Assignment Problem
To assign m persons to m jobs.
Given
The cost (or efficiency index) for a person to do a job.

10. Solving Assignment Problem
It can be solved conveniently by using the ‘Assignment module’ in computer software “QM for Windows”.
It is a special transportation problem.