Modeling and desigkning a cross dock warehouse using multi-objective gray wolf optimization algorithm

Warehousing is very important in the economies of countries, because a significant percentage of assets are stored in the warehouse. Proper warehouse design and layout has a great role in reducing costs, reducing lead time and delivery time, improving resource utilization and customer service. One type of warehouse that has become widely used recently is cross dock warehouses, which differ from traditional warehouses in terms of the number of products stored and their storage time. The main purpose of this research is modeling and solving a problem that is compatible with real world conditions that have received less attention from researchers.

Multi-Objective Gray Wolf Optimization (MOGWO) algorithm is used to solve the problem and Parameters are adjusted using the Taguchi method.

Using the mean ideal distance, spacing, number of pareto solutions and diversification metric, the best possible level for the algorithm parameters is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio diagram. By solving 10 examples in different sizes and reviewing the results and their solution time, it has been determined that with increasing the size of the problem, the solution time also increases.

Originality/Value: 

In this study, in addition to considering the distance traveled in the warehouse, which most studies have done in the field of warehouse design, more use of available space in the warehouse and the satisfaction of retailers has also been considered. For this purpose, a mixed integer programing model is proposed to design a cross dock warehouse to minimize distances, minimize the vacant space of the warehouse, and maximize retailer’s satisfaction.