| Article ID: | iaor20174371 |
| Volume: | 18 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| Start Page Number: | 203 |
| End Page Number: | 221 |
| Publication Date: | Sep 2017 |
| Journal: | Information Technology and Management |
| Authors: | Mller Daniel, Tierney Kevin |
| Keywords: | decision, distribution, vehicle routing & scheduling, networks, transportation: water, demand, forecasting: applications, time series: forecasting methods |
Liner carriers move vessels between routes in their networks several times a year in a process called fleet repositioning. There are currently no decision support systems to allow repositioning coordinators to take advantage of recent algorithmic advances in creating repositioning plans. Furthermore, no study has addressed how to visualize repositioning plans and liner shipping services in an accessible manner. Displaying information such as cargo flows and interactions between vessels is a complex task due to the overlap of container demands and long time scales. To this end, we propose a web‐based decision support system designed specifically for liner shipping fleet repositioning that integrates an extended version of a state‐of‐the‐art simulated annealing solution approach. Our system supports users in evaluating different strategic settings and scenarios, allowing liner carriers to save money through better fleet utilization and cargo throughput, as well as reduce their environmental impact by using less fuel.