Comodal freight transportation chains: a physical internet approach – pi-comodalité

The problem of designing multimodal sustainable chains will be addressed from two perspectives. In the first case, we consider a centralized system or “system optimum” where a shipper is in charge of defining the “best” set of chains. The co-modal chains will be designed assuming that the set of transportation and logistics offers is known. The approach will be based on multi-objective optimization. In the second case, the system is shared between actors and decentralized. The shipper will specify the general framework
(potential multimodal platforms to be used) and the origins and destinations of flows. Then, transportation companies will put out their offers, which will be considered according to a combinatorial auction mechanism. This will result in a shared logistics activity that optimizes the use of resources. In both cases
(centralized or decentralized), the scientific approach will be based on three main tasks: 1) Modelling the comodal freight chain design problem; 2) Developing and implementing innovative decision making algorithms; 3) Validating the solutions on scenarios defined with the industrial partner

The expected results are new models and of decision aids methods for the definition of reliable co-modal chains.
These methods will be of high an economic and ecological impact.

The decision making methods will be included in a module, which could be integrated within an intelligent transport system. Such software could be used by shippers.

The scientific production of this project consists in two theses in progress. In addition, several papers and presentations in international and national conferences, especially in selective events specifically addressing the themes covered by this project are planned.

The pi-co-modality project aims to design new sustainable logistic services between preset origins and destinations. It is based on innovative approaches both in terms of:
Logistics and transportation services:
By considering the pi-internet approach, specifically: mesh logistics and transportation networks based on available capacities
By designing consistent integrated co-modal chains
Methodology:
By addressing the underlying problems according to two approaches: centralized and decentralized
By proposing news realistic models relevant for practitioner taking into account the consistency;
By developing state-of-the-art decision making algorithms.
The pi-co-modality project is devoted to the design of co-modal chains between origins and destinations according to environmental and economic objectives. The project is based on the concept of the physical internet (shortened by pi) that breaks with previous established approaches. The metaphor with the digital internet is used to illustrate the key concepts. As digital packets on interconnected computer networks, the physical internet aims to develop a global logistics system based on the interconnection of logistics services networks to transfer goods between origins and destinations. To increase the efficiency of logistics service networks, physical internet aims to develop: modular containers; mesh networks; dynamic routing; publication of available capacities.
More precisely, the pi-co-modality project aims to develop models and decision making algorithms to design simultaneously several sustainable logistics and transportation chains between origins and destinations given a logistics and transportation network. This mesh network will result from information (capacities, schedules…) reported by logisticians and carriers. It differs from the classical hub-and-spoke topology encountered when the network is managed by a unique company. Even if chains are built by combining a priori existing resources/services, additional transport services between existing platforms will be considered since they could lead to promising chains from the economic and environmental objectives.
A key feature of the chains determined by the methods developed in pi-co-modality will be consistency. Many sources of uncertainty may lead the co-modal chains to be ineffective in practice. Among them, there are: 1) the volume of freight transported; 2) the risk of degradation of the quality of service due to presence of transfer points … To cope with these uncertainties, the chains designed will be consistent, i.e., able to maintain the quality of service in terms of delivery time, of volume delivered...
The problem of designing multimodal sustainable chains will be addressed from two perspectives. In the first case, we consider a centralized system or “system optimum” where a shipper is in charge of defining the “best” set of chains. The co-modal chains will be designed assuming that the set of transportation and logistics offers is known. The approach will be based on multi-objective optimization. In the second case, the system is shared between actors and decentralized. The shipper will specify the general framework (potential multimodal platforms to be used) and the origins and destinations of flows. Then, transportation companies will put out their offers, which will be considered according to a combinatorial auction mechanism. This will result in a shared logistics activity that optimizes the use of resources. In both cases (centralized or decentralized), the scientific approach will be based on three main tasks: 1) Modelling the co-modal freight chain design problem; 2) Developing and implementing innovative decision making algorithms; 3) Validating the solutions on scenarios defined with the industrial partner. The decision making methods will be included in a module, which could be integrated within an intelligent transport system. Such software could be used by shippers.