OVERVIEW

The course aims at describing the main decisional methods for planning logistic systems, with specific attention to sustainability issues. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide methodologies and tools for optimizing and controlling logistic systems (intermodal networks, container terminals, logistic centers). Referring to the planning and organization of logistic systems, the student will learn how to: - identify the decision problem type - define the most appropriate mathematical model - define the most adequate solution methodology - choose a software solution for the problem - discuss the problem relevance/effects

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The learning outcomes of the course refer, for sustainable logistic systems, to the capacity of:

• identifying the decision problem type
• defining the most appropriate mathematical model
• defining the solution methodology
• choosing a software tool and implementing the relative code
• discussing the solution

Besides these learning outcomes, the student who will actively participate to lessons and team working activities can acquire the following  soft skills:

• social skills – basic level: capacity to manage social interactions, collaborative behaviour, constructive communication in different environments 
• capacity of learning to learn – basic level: awareness of the preferred learning stretegies, organization and evaluation of personal learning

PREREQUISITES

Basics of operations research, basics of systems theory.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be organized with standard lessons and some team working activities to implement and solve, with optimation software, decision problems related to sustainable logistic systems. The team working activities will allow the students who will actively participate to acquire social skills (basic level) and the capacity of learning to learn (basic level).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Introduction to logistics and sustainability
• Strategic decisions in logistics: location problems, network design problems
• Tactical decisions in logistics: allocation of products in storage areas, vehicle allocation in transport networks, intermodal transport planning
• Operational decisions in logistics: bin packing problems, vehicle routing and vehicle scheduling problems for freight distribution
• Ports and container terminals: main characteristics and planning problems

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography:

• Gianpaolo Ghiani, Gilbert Laporte, Roberto Musmanno, “Introduction to Logistics Systems Planning and Control”, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2004.
• J. W. Böse, “Handbook of Terminal Planning”, Operations Research/Computer Science Interfaces Series, Springer, 2011

Besides these texts, the teaching material presented during the lectures can be found on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

SILVIA SIRI (President)

CECILIA CATERINA PASQUALE

SIMONA SACONE (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/11160/students-timetable

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists in an oral test. During the test, the student has to discuss a project or a team working activity carried out during the lessons; in the presentation the student must describe the modelling and implementing activity of an optimization model for a logistic problem, by discussing in detail all the results. Moreover, the student must answer some open questions regarding the topics addressed in the course.

Students with certification of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), disabilities, or other special educational needs must contact the instructor at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take into account individual learning styles and provide appropriate compensatory tools. It is reminded that the request for compensatory/dispensatory measures for exams must be sent to the course instructor, the School representative, and the “Settore servizi per l'inclusione degli studenti con disabilità e con DSA” office (dsa@unige.it) at least 10 working days before the exam, as per the guidelines available at the link: https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam aims to verify the following aspects about the knowledge of the student:

- knowledge regarding the main decision-making problems and the related mathematical formalization and solution approaches for the organization of sustainable logistic systems activities

- ability to formalize mathematical models for solving problems for logistics systems

- ability to implement mathematical models using suitable software

- ability to analyze results and evaluate alternative scenarios for planning and managing logistics systems

The evaluation of the exam will take into account not only the knowledge of the contents addressed in the course but also the reasoning and critical analysis skills of the student, as well as his/her capability to use a technical lexicon appropriate to the context.

Exam schedule