Wasit Journal for Pure Sciences Vol. (1) No.

(3)

Proposed Method for Solving Transportation Problems

Firas Hamid Thanoon*

College of Education-Akre, University of Duhok-Iraq
*E-Mail: [email protected], Tel: 00964 751 808 7820,

Abstract: - The transportation problem (TP) is a frequently used optimization technique in

operations research for studying difficulties involving the transportation of commodities from
manufacturing locations to retail outlets. Lowering transportation costs is one possible purpose
of the TP, reducing the distance travelled in terms of time, and so on. Solving such issues can
be done systematically. We do this by determining the problem's Initial Basic Feasible
Solution (IBFS). The usual methods for determining the IBFS are Vogel's Approximation
technique, Least Cost technique, and the North-West Corner technique. Several more
techniques to handle such difficulties have been proposed in recent years. In this article, we
offer a new technique for solving the transportation problem, and its efficacy is compared to
that of existing solutions. Calculation of the result shows that it is straightforward and close to
the ideal solution to the issue.

Keywords: Modified Vogel’s Approximation Method, Balanced Transportation Problem,

Mean Absolute Deviations of Costs.

1. Introduction
The transportation model is a linear programming paradigm that is widely used in the industry,
as it is considered an integral part of the process to plant for its purpose of what it needs of
production requirements at the specified time and place. This form searches a representative
for affiliated actors and actresses for work in a quick response. The least possible time,
provided that the processing is found in each source, the demand at each site, and the cost of
transporting one unit (or the time taken to transfer units) from each source to each specific
information site, The historical roots of the transport model go back to Tolstoi was among the
first to conduct a mathematical analysis of the transportation problem in the 1920s A.N,
Hitchcock delivered his article Production is distributed among a number of different sources
to Various Locations in (1941) at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The
distribution of a commodity from a number of distinct suppliers to a number of different
locations, In (1947) Koopmans presented his research entitled “Usage Optimum Transport
System" developed by Dantzig in 1963.
Vogel's Approximation technique (VAM), Least Cost technique (LCM), and The North-West
Corner technique (NWCM) are three well-known approaches for determining IBFS of
Problem's Transportation . Recently developed heuristic approaches include Modified Vogel's
Approximation Method (MVAM), Extremum Difference Method (EDM), and the Maximum
Difference Method (MDM) . Keerthi Jain and Smita Sood have demonstrated that their MDM
Method is more often than not superior to VAM [4]. According to Abdul Sattar et al., the
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outcomes of VAM and MVAM are nearly identical to optimum but best than LCM and
NWCM [9]. In his study, M.A.Hakim introduced the Approximation Methodology Proposed
(AMP) and demonstrated that his method and VAM produce the same outcome [10]. The
historic paper Proposed Method, Algorithm of Direct Sum Method (DSM) to discover the
Initial Basic Feasible Solution [11][12] was provided by Ravi Kumar R, et al. The idea of
"standard deviation of row/column expenses" is used by Stephen Akpan, et al. in their paper
"A Modified Vogel Approximation Method for Solving Balanced Transportation Problems."

2. Methods and Material:

2.1. TP's Mathematical Representation:

The following notations are used to represent the transportation problem mathematically:
Let ′i′ represent one of the ′m′ numbers of origins.
Let ′j′ represent for a destination point among the ′n′ possible destinations.
The number of units available at ′i′ is denoted by ′ai ′.
Let ′bj′ represent for the number of units required at ′j′.
Let 'cij' be the cost of transporting a unit of its origins to its requirement.
Let xij is the number of units that must be transferred of the ith origin into the jth destination.
The transportation problem is possible to express mathematically as choosing a set of
variables in decision-making xij ′ s, for i = 1,2,..., m; j = 1,2,...,n, to minimize.
Z=∑ 1
∑𝑛 ,
1

subject to the constraint

∑𝑛 1

∑ 1

and xij ≥ 0, for all i and j

There are m + n constraint equations in a typical transportation model with m sources and n
destinations, one for each origin and requirement. One of the equations is superfluous because
the transportation model is always balanced (supply = demand), reducing the model to m + n -
1 independent equations and m + n - 1 fundamental variable. The structure of the
transportation problem is unique., one of three strategies can be used to guarantee a non-
artificial starting basic solution:

i. Vogel approximation method

ii. Least cost method
iii. North-West corner method

The first strategy is "mechanical" in that it aims to provide a starting point. (basic workable)
answer at any cost. The final two heuristics look for a higher-quality (lower objective value)
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initial solution. The Vogel heuristic is the best in general, while the north-west corner
technique is the worst. The North-West corner approach, on the other hand, requires the
fewest computations. [2].

2.2. Standard Initial Basic Feasible Solution Methods Algorithms and Methodology
Proposed

2.2.1. North-West Corner Technique :

Step 1: Using Available and Required, choose the cell in the north-west corner of the
transportation table and assign the minimum amount of transportation to that location.
Step 2: After checking that the first cell's criteria has been met, go horizontally to the next cell
in the second column to continue.
Step 3: If the number of cells available in the first row is exhausted, go on to the first cell in
the second row and so on.
Step 4: Repeat until all available and required are satisfied.
2.2.2. Least Cost Technique :
Step 1: Using the allocation rule, select the cell with the lowest cost and distribute as much as
possible. If no such cell exists, pick a cell at random.
Step 2: Make a cross in the pleased column or row . Continue with the remaining parts of the
table until all available and required have been met.
2.2.3. Vogel’s Approximation Technique :
Step1: Determine ' Difference ' for each column and row. The penalty between the lowest and
next-lowest costs is used to determine the penalty.
Step 2: Determine which column or row has the largest difference and assign it to the cell with
the lowest cost in that column or row. If there is a tie, the winner will be chosen at random.
Step3: Continue while all equipping and request have been met.
2.2.4. Proposed Modified Vogel Approximation Method (Mean Absolute Deviations):
I proposed this method as follows. Instead of using the idea of determining two of the least
costs as we have in the current Vogel approximation method algorithm, "Mean absolute
deviation of row/column costs" is a concept we employ.
Step 1: Locate the costs for each column and row (Mean Absolute Deviations).
Step 2: Using Mean Absolute Deviations, find the column or row with the highest costs and
assign the most units possible to the lowest cost route in that column or row.
Step 3: Delete the appropriate column if the assignment in step two meets the demand at that
destination. Otherwise, when the supply at the origin is depleted, delete the relevant row.
Step 4: When all supplies have been depleted and all demands have been met, come to a halt.
Otherwise, go back to the first step.
3. Results and Discussions:
Let's take a look at the following transportation issue:

D1 D2 D3 D4 Supply
Destination

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Source
S1 8 6 10 9 35
S2 9 12 13 7 50
S3 14 9 16 5 40
Demand 45 20 30 30 125
The initial basic possible solution to the aforesaid problem is summarized below, using the
different methods discussed in this work.

3.1. The Conventional Initial Solution By North-West Corner Method:

Destination D1 D2 D3 D4 Supply
Source
S1 8(35) 6 10 9 35
S2 9(10) 12(20) 13(20) 7 50
S3 14 9 16(10) 5(30) 40
Demand 45 20 30 30 125
S1 to D1 (x11) = 35 , S2 to D1 (x21) =10 , S2 to D2 (x22) = 20 , S2 to D3 (x23) =20 ,S3 to D3 (x33) =
10, S3 to D4 (x34) = 30.
With objective function value (Z) =1180.

3.2. The Conventional Initial Solution By Least Cost Method:

Destination D1 D2 D3 D4 Supply
Source
S1 8(15) 6(20) 10 9 35
S2 9(30) 12 13(20) 7 50
S3 14 9 16(10) 5(30) 40
Demand 45 20 30 30 125
S1 to D1 (x11) = 15 , S1 to D2 (x12) =20 , S2 to D1 (x21) = 30 , S2 to D3 (x23) =20 ,S3 to D3 (x33) =
10, S3 to D4 (x34) = 30.
With objective function value (Z) =1080.
3.3. The Conventional Initial Solution By Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM):

Destination D1 D2 D3 D4 Supply
Source
S1 8 6(10) 10(25) 9 35
S2 9(45) 12 13(5) 7 50
S3 14 9(10) 16 5(30) 40
Demand 45 20 30 30 125
S1 to D2 (x12) = 10 , S1 to D3 (x13) =25 , S2 to D1 (x21) = 45 , S2 to D3 (x23) =5 ,S3 to D2 (x32) =
10, S3 to D4 (x34) = 30.
With objective function value (Z) =1020.

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3.4. The Conventional Initial Solution By Proposed Method (Mean Absolute Deviations
):

Destination D1 D2 D3 D4 Supply
Source
S1 8 6(10) 10(25) 9 35
S2 9(45) 12 13(5) 7 50
S3 14 9(10) 16 5(30) 40
Demand 45 20 30 30 125
S1 to D2 (x12) = 10 , S1 to D3 (x13) =25 , S2 to D1 (x21) = 45 , S2 to D3 (x23) =5 ,S3 to D2 (x32) =
10, S3 to D4 (x34) = 30.
With objective function value (Z) =1020.

4. Conclusions and Recommendations

It may be possible to obtain more efficient starting solutions for the transportation problem
utilizing my proposed method, and thus it can be used for further optimization of the answer.

References

1) Abdul Sattar Soomro, et.al, (2015) “Modified Vogel’s Approximation Method for
solving transportation problems, mathematical theory and modeling, volume 5, No.4,
pp 32-42.
2) Dantzig, G.B., Linear Programming and Extensions, Princeton, NJ: Princeton
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3) Hakim M.A. (2012), An alternative method to find initial basic feasible solution of a
transportation problem, annals of pure and applied mathematics, volume 1, No.2, pp
203- 209.
4) Hamdy A. Taha, Operations Research An Introduction, Pearson (Global Edition),
England, 2017.
5) Kirca O. and Satir A., “A heuristic for obtaining an initial solution for the
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871, 1990.
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7) Ramakrishnan C. S., “An improvement to Goyal’s modified VAM for the unbalanced
transportation problem”, Journal of Operational Research Society, Vol.39, pp. 609-
610, 1988.

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8) Ravi Kumar R, Radha Gupta and Karthiyayini O, “A New Approach To Find The
Initial Basic Feasible Solution Of A Transportation Problem”, Kumar et. al., Vol.6
(Iss.5): May 2018.
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10) Sharma, R. R. K. and K. D. Sharma, “A new dual based procedure for the
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Partial Differential Equations. Education college Journal.

Article submitted 10 August 2022. Published as resubmitted by the authors 30 Dec. 2022.

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