Jiemi ‘Jimmy’ Lin
Supervised by Dr Asef Nazari, CSIRO
Monash University
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A meat distribution centre distributes different
types of beef products, each with different
quality.
The beef products are attached with RFIDs tags
and transported to a number of supermarkets,
based on the daily demand for the products.
The products are transported using two types of
vehicles with different speeds and costs.
The investigation involves the use of a simulation
tool, AnyLogic, to construct a simulation model
and perform experiments.
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AnyLogic is a multimethod simulation
modelling tool. It includes a graphical
modelling language and also allows the user
to extend simulation models with Java code.
AnyLogic models can be based on any of the
main simulation modelling paradigms:
Discrete-Event (DE), Systems Dynamics (SD)
and Agent-Based (AB).
DE and AB are used in this project.
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A discrete-event simulation models the
operation of a system as a discrete sequence
of events in time. Each event occurs at a
particular instant in time and marks a change
of state in the system.
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An agent-based simulation models the actions
and interactions of autonomous agents (both
individual or collective entities such as
organisations or groups) with a view to assessing
their effects on the system as a whole.
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In the meat distribution model, distributor,
retailers and two types of vehicles as defined as
agents and located on a GIS map. The vehicles
travel between the distributor and the retailers.
As the stock of beef product goes down, orders
are made by the retailers. The type of vehicles
used depends on the distance between the
distributor and the retailers as well as the quality
of the product at the distributor.
The order of beef product is modelled using DE
method and the dispatch is modelled using AB
method.
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The two types of vehicles have different
speeds and delivery costs. Depending on the
initial quality of the beef product, distance
between distributor and retailers, time, as
well as delivery cost, faster or slower vehicles
are chosen accordingly.
The two types of vehicles also have different
capital costs. Cost is to be minimised without
sacrificing the performance of delivery.
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Two experiments, simulating different
scenarios with different rates of sale, are
conducted to investigate the optimal number
of vehicles to be used, mainly concerning the
performance of delivery.
Different combinations of vehicle types are
used, the simulation time is set to be 240
hours, the average numbers of hours elapsed
before the delivery system breaks down (due
to insufficient number of vehicles) are
collected.
Rate of sale of the simulation
at right is twice as much as
the rate of the left.
3D plots generated with MATLAB
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When the number of either type of vehicles is
low, the delivery system breaks down fairly
quickly.
Sufficient number of vehicles must be used to
ensure the performance, and the cost must
taken in to account as well.
Optimal numbers of vehicles are obtained
from the plots.
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[1] Mohebi, E. & Marquez, L. 2014 Intelligent
packaging in meat industry: an overview of
existing solutions. J. Food Sci. Technol.
[2] Mohebi, E. & Marquez, L. 2015 Application
of machine learning and RFID in the stability
optimization of perishable foods (in
progress).