Modeling of Workflow Congestion and Optimization of Flow Routing in a Manufacturing/Warehouse Facility
针对制造或仓储设施中物料搬运设备中断导致的工作流拥塞，提出结合概率与物理模型评估链路旅行时间，并通过多商品流模型和启发式算法优化路由，发现重路由在中度交通强度下最有效。
This paper discusses the notion of workflow congestion in the context of material handling equipment interruptions in a manufacturing or warehousing facility. Development of a combination of probabilistic and physics-based models for workflow interruptions permits evaluation of the expected link travel time. The problem is then of routing in a way that minimizes total expected travel time. The rerouting problem is modeled as a multicommodity flow problem with link capacity design. A greedy upper bounding and Lagrangean relaxation algorithm are developed to solve this efficiently. To calibrate our modeling process we develop an object-oriented simulation model that explicitly considers various workflow interruptions. Our major finding is that rerouting traffic in a congested facility can significantly alleviate congestion delays and improve the efficiency of material movement. A managerial insight derived from this work is that rerouting is most effective in medium traffic-intensity situations.