Optimal production allocation and distribution supply chain networks

Enterprise optimisation can rapidly strip significant ‘bottom line’ costs out of global operations, giving companies a real competitive edge. The benefits of managing supply chain networks by integrating operational, design and financial decisions have been acknowledged by the industrial and academic community. The objective of this work is to determine the optimal configuration of a production and distribution network subject to operational and financial constraints. Operational constraints include quality, production and supply restrictions, and are related to the allocation of the production and the work-load balance. Financial constraints include production costs, transportation costs and duties for the material flowing within the network subject to exchange rates.