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Minimizing makespan and throughput times at Aalsmeer flower auction

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Listed:
  • R de Koster

    (RSM Erasmus University)

  • M Yu

    (RSM Erasmus University)

Abstract

At Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer (VBA), about 19 million flowers have to be distributed daily to customers in a building of 1 million m2 within a few hours. With the increasing daily number of customer orders, the congestion in the main distribution area increases. As a consequence, the makespan exceeds the available time, and flowers arrive too late at the customers. This paper investigates the concept of zoning in the distribution process, where distributors work in teams for a fixed group of customers in a specific zone of the distribution area. Customers are assigned to zones to balance workload. We show by simulation that this way of organizing the distribution process reduces congestion and leads to considerable improvements in both makespan and transaction lead time.

Suggested Citation

  • R de Koster & M Yu, 2008. "Minimizing makespan and throughput times at Aalsmeer flower auction," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(9), pages 1182-1190, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:59:y:2008:i:9:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2602474
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602474
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. de Koster, Rene & Le-Duc, Tho & Roodbergen, Kees Jan, 2007. "Design and control of warehouse order picking: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 182(2), pages 481-501, October.
    2. Margaret A. Meyer, 1994. "The Dynamics of Learning with Team Production: Implications for Task Assignment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(4), pages 1157-1184.
    3. Le-Duc, T. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2005. "Determining Number of Zones in a Pick-and-pack Orderpicking System," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2005-029-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    4. Jane, Chin-Chia & Laih, Yih-Wenn, 2005. "A clustering algorithm for item assignment in a synchronized zone order picking system," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 166(2), pages 489-496, October.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hong, Soondo & Johnson, Andrew L. & Peters, Brett A., 2012. "Batch picking in narrow-aisle order picking systems with consideration for picker blocking," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 221(3), pages 557-570.
    2. David Winkelmann & Frederik Tolkmitt & Matthias Ulrich & Michael Romer, 2022. "Integrated storage assignment for an e-grocery fulfilment centre: Accounting for day-of-week demand patterns," Papers 2209.03998, arXiv.org, revised May 2023.
    3. Asef-Vaziri, Ardavan & Kazemi, Morteza, 2018. "Covering and connectivity constraints in loop-based formulation of material flow network design in facility layout," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(3), pages 1033-1044.
    4. Asef-Vaziri, Ardavan & Jahandideh, Hossein & Modarres, Mohammad, 2017. "Loop-based facility layout design under flexible bay structures," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 713-725.
    5. Kaveh Azadeh & René De Koster & Debjit Roy, 2019. "Robotized and Automated Warehouse Systems: Review and Recent Developments," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(4), pages 917-945, July.

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