Supply Chain Design (Collection)

11. Multi-Objective Optimization

So far, we have discussed trying to improve just one component of the supply chain. That is to say, we have talked about minimizing the total distance that our goods have to travel, or the total supply chain cost over some length of time. We have framed strategic network design this way for three reasons:

1. Historically, strategic network design tools have always presented the user with a single goal. The majority of tools (although certainly not all of them) currently give you the power to minimize (or maximize) just one objective function at a time.

2. The mathematical tools that underpin strategic network design are oriented toward optimizing a single objective.

3. Optimization of a single goal is difficult ...