Knapsack problem solved in SAP?

[Former Member]

Does anybody know if there is an add-on available somewhere for Logistics Execution to solve a knapsack problem? I need this to include several deliveries in one shipment. The wheight / volumn of containers in the shipment is restricted.

Stefan Schwarz

[Former Member]

Hello Dirk,

Thank you for your response. I will describe the full process. So you can better understand my need and maybe tell me wether your add-on is applicable or not.

We have to ship 8 different products into consignment stock from Germany to USA. The products are packed in boxes with different sizes depending on the product. The number of parts that fit in one box is also different for each product. E.g. 60 pcs of product 1 into box 1, 80 pcs of product 2 into box 2 etc.. The boxes are then packed into a big oversea container. For each product a delivery is created in SAP and the quantity is packed into boxes (=> handling units). All deliveries which are shipped in one container are collected in one shipment. A container has to be filled up completely.

Regarding the consignment stock, we have a maximum stock which must not be exceeded and a minumum stock which must not be fallen below per product. From the customer we get forecasts of how many pieces will be issued from the consignment stock per product.

So to fill the container with the correct boxes / products we have four constraints:

1. Size of the container

2. Only full container can be shipped

3. Maximum consignment stock per product

4. Minimum consignment stock per product

Do you think this would be possible with your add-on?

Best Regards,

Stefan Schwarz

[Former Member]

Hi Stefan,

indeed, that's exactly what our add-on can do.

Feel free to look into my profile or let me know how to get in contact. I would like to get more information about your needs in order to get an idea of how to integrate the add-on into your process.

Best regards,

Dirk Mohaupt

[Former Member]

Dirk,

Thanks a lot. I will contact you via e-mail.

Best Regards,

Stefan Schwarz

[Former Member]

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[Former Member]

This message was moderated.

[Former Member]

Dirk,

That is about what I am looking for. I think you also include the deliveries that have been placed in a container in one shipment.

Is this add-on an inhouse development or was it developpd by some SAP partner company and is it sold as an add-on? Thank you in advance.

Stefan Schwarz

[Former Member]

Hi Stefan,

sorry for the late reply, I had some days off.

We are infact a SAP partner company. The solution is a completely integrated add-on, the user works in the SAP GUI all the time. Due to performance reasons the optimizer itself is not written in ABAP but is connected via SOAP interface. But as I said that is something that the user doesn't recognize as he works in the SAP GUI and also has a 3D-graphic of the load displayed within there.

I'm not sure I get the point when you say "include the deliveries that have been placed in a container in one shipment". I guess it depends very much on what you want to be a shipment. I know of several situations where a shipment is one container resp. one truck load. The task of the optimizer could then be to build these shipments out of a number of deliveries so that the total amount of shipments is minimized. Other option could be - if the shipments are given - to determine the number of required containers (or meters of loading space on a truck) per shipment. You see, there are several options... and we are quite flexible with adapting the solution to specific needs. Do you think this solution could be of interest for you?

Best regards,

Dirk

[Former Member]

No idea about a specific knapsack solver. But what is your intention? I guess all deliveries will have to be put in some container because they will have to be transported at some time...

What we have is an add-on for "load space optimization". You put (a selection of) deliveries and (a selection of) containers or container types into the optimizer. And as a result you get the deliveries put into the containers. Restrictions are indeed weight and volume (actually, it really calculates 3D), but you can add further restrictions, e.g. if some goods are not allowed to be combined in container (hazardous goods etc.) or which goods are allowed to be stacked on which other product. A lot of further restrictions are possible.

Let me know, if you want to know more about that add-on.

Best regards,

Dirk Mohaupt