Models, algorithms and decision support systems for letter mail logistics

The reorganization of the Deutsche Post AG imposed massive structural and organizational changes. Here we focus on the so-called main transportation network. It consists of the network connecting 83 letter mail centers distributed throughout Germany as well as the international letter mail center at the Frankfurt am Main airport. The planners have to decide how an average of about 1,500 tons of letter mail is transported between the letter mail centers each night. Moreover the system should be able to deal with special situations, such as the large increases in quantity before Christmas. The Deutsche Post AG and the ELITE Foundation are implementing a decision support system for this specific planning task in cooperation with the RWTH Aachen. The system is based on a client-server architecture, including a geographical information system, a relational database system, a graphical user interface, and a number of optimization algorithms for different planning tasks.