Service type-based capacitated p-hub location-allocation (case study: I.R.I. Post company)

In this paper, a special type of hub location-allocation problem is introduced for a real case study. Considering that the hub facilities usually have a limited capacity, the problem is investigated in the capacitated mode. Also, since services are usually provided to customers in different ways, and studying this helps to solve real-world problems, the problem model is designed based on the type of service. To our knowledge, this issue has not been investigated in previous studies. This issue has been investigated based on a case study in the postal hub system of the National Post Company of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This problem can be generalized in various other applications such as online stores, airports and telecommunication systems, and modeling based on the conditions in these systems and providing a suitable solution method can be used as an applied research. In this study, a mathematical model is proposed according to the characteristics of this system. Also, the exact solution method using the CPLEX solver has been used to solve the presented model. Based on the calculations and comparison with the existing conditions, the mathematical model presented in dealing with the design issues of the hub network of J.A. Post Company. It is effective and leads to cost reduction compared to the current system. Based on the results obtained from the implementation of the mathematical model, the provinces of Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Isfahan and Kerman were determined as postal hub centers. This is while in the current situation, the provinces of Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Isfahan and Hamadan are used as land postal hubs.