Exploratory Research on Engineering the Transport Industries (ETI): An Internet-Based Distributed Architecture for Real-Time Control of Freight Transportation Operations

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This Exploratory Research on Engineering the Transport Industries (ETI) project is to develop multi-agent architecture for coordinating decision-making among groups or organizations arising within supply chains and supporting freight transportation networks. Decision-making units can be managers at different terminals in a large rail or trucking network, or managers at different suppliers within a supply chain. Better decision making occurs with better information, and a more formalized decision-making process. The research will first define the four major classes of information that are used in decision making. A general class of mathematically based decision functions will be designed, which will formalize how each class of information is used. These functions will allow us to study how decisions by one unit impact the decisions of another unit. The presence of uncertainty, and missing or incomplete information, will be explicitly modeled. The expectation is to implement these decision agents in a loosely coupled environment, using the Internet as the primary means of communication. All testing will be done using data already available from major railroads and trucking companies. If successful, the architecture will improve overall coordination between decision-makers in large transportation and logistics networks, accelerating network response, with lower cost and better service. The technology will capture the inherently decentralized process of decision making in complex operations, but will develop a process, which offers global optimizing behavior. The process should produce plans that can be followed in real-time, using forecasts of decisions in the future (and on other elements of the system) to make better decisions now. The expectation is to develop insights into the value of improved information, which will allow quantifying the cost of better information against the benefits. It is this tradeoff that is the primary deterrent against the use of more advanced information technologies in many elements of the transportation and logistics information infrastructure, and the research should speed adoption of information technologies by helping us understand the economic barriers to adoption.