Chapter 6. Transportation, Transshipment, and Assignment Problems

[Page 222]

Chapter 6. Transportation, Transshipment , and Assignment Problems

---

[Page 223]

In this chapter, we examine three special types of linear programming model formulations transportation, transshipment , and assignment problems . They are part of a larger class of linear programming problems known as network flow problems . We are considering these problems in a separate chapter because they represent a popular group of linear programming applications.

These problems have special mathematical characteristics that have enabled management scientists to develop very efficient, unique mathematical solution approaches to them. These solution approaches are variations of the traditional simplex solution procedure. Like the simplex method, we have placed these detailed manual, mathematical solution procedurescalled the transportation method and assignment method on the CD that accompanies this text. As in previous chapters, we will focus on model formulation and solution by using the computer, specifically by using Excel and QM for Windows.