You are cordially invited to attend my thesis defense on September 16th at 9:30 am.

Thesis Title: Hyperconnected City Logistics: Capillary Network Design and Management

Advisors: 

Prof. Benoit Montreuil

Prof. Chelsea “Chip” White III

Committee members:

Prof. Alan Erera

Prof. Martin Savelsbergh

Prof. Walid Klibi (KEDGE Business School, France)

Prof. Teodor Crainic (Department of Management and Technology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada)

Date and Time: 9:30 - 11:30 am EST, Wednesday, September 16th, 2020

Meeting URL:  https://bluejeans.com/273803649

Meeting ID:  273 803 649 (BlueJeans)

Abstract:

In hyperconnected city logistics, this dissertation focuses on capillary networks which enable first-and-last mile logistics and fulfillment activities and customer interfaces with logistics systems. Capillary logistics networks are central to several innovations aiming to enable fast and convenient service to consumers while reducing cost and negative externalities associated with logistics activities in urban environments under the pressure of e-commerce growth. In this dissertation, we examine two types of urban capillary logistics networks: smart locker bank networks and access hub networks. Smart locker banks enable the aggregation of customer locations into a network of unattended pickup-and-delivery points. Access hubs serve as consolidation and transshipment points for logistics service providers at the neighborhood level.

Our objective is to provide a set of methods to design and manage capillary networks and identify key managerial insights to shape urban logistics. In doing so, we leverage concepts of the Physical Internet to examine modularity, hyperconnectivity and mobility solutions for smart locker bank and access hub networks. This work was shaped and supported by a research initiative entitled Data-Driven Design and Operation of Hyperconnected Intra-City Logistics Service Networks in collaboration with SF Express, a large parcel express carrier in China.

In Chapter 2, we examine the essence of pickup and delivery networks and propose four design options for smart locker banks ranging from currently implemented designs to most mature implementation of Physical Internet concepts.

In Chapter 3, we introduce two problems: the fixed-configuration locker bank design problem and the modular tower-based locker bank design problem. For both, we develop optimization-based methods that produce smart locker bank configurations and layouts from sets of probabilistic delivery scenarios. Results suggest that modular designs can perform just as well as custom fixed-configuration designs while being more flexible and reconfigurable.

In Chapter 4, we study a novel tactical optimization problem: the dynamic deployment of pooled storage capacity in an urban parcel network operating under space-time uncertainty. We characterize and model the access hub dynamic pooled capacity deployment problem as a two-stage stochastic program with synchronization of underlying operations through travel time estimates. We then propose a solution approach based on a rolling horizon algorithm with lookahead and a benders decomposition able to solve large scale instances of a real-sized megacity. Numerical results, inspired by the case of a large parcel express carrier, are provided to evaluate the computational performance of the proposed approach and suggest significant last-mile cost and capacity savings compared to a static capacity deployment strategy.

In Chapter 5, we examine the use of mobile access hub deployments to make dynamic use of urban space for logistics needs. We expand the understanding of characteristics influencing the economic and environmental efficiency of mobile access hub deployments by proposing a modeling framework and an integer program to assess the performance of mobile access hub deployments, and by studying the impact of a set of design parameters through synthetic cases and an illustrative case inspired from a large parcel express carrier's operations. Results indicate design flexibility relative to the location of hubs and pronounced advantages in highly variable environments. The illustrative case shows significant savings potential in terms of last-mile cost and time efficiency as well as environmental sustainability. It emphasizes a trade-off between operational efficiency and environmental sustainability that can be balanced to achieve global sustainability goals while being economically sound.