O.R. & Oxfam: Optimising donation bank
collections using remote monitoring sensors
(The OR Society: Joint Third Sector SIG, SORG
and CORMSIS Event)
Date/time: Thursday
11 June 2015
Registration from 15.30 with refreshments
Talk 16.00-17.30
Location:
University of Southampton,
Highfield Campus
Building 2, Room 3043
Please use this link for directions:
Cost: FREE
The major charities can spend
around 20% of their income on logistics, collecting new donations from donation
banks and recycling unsellable textiles via various outlets. This talk will
describe the key learning outcomes from a project undertaken with Oxfam which
installed remote monitoring sensors into a subset of their textile donation
banks and using the fill levels reported daily, derived collection strategies
using tabu search methods. These were based on a set of rules to only allow
banks to become eligible for servicing once they had reached a specific fill
level. The problem was made more complex by the need for the collection vans to
also visit Oxfam shops on a fixed schedule basis to remove unsold textiles.
Following live and simulated trials, the results suggested that time and
distance savings of up to 30% over the current fixed schedules could be
achieved when a minimum bank and shop fill level of between 50% and 60% was
used as a collection trigger. Some of the outcomes from the project are now being
developed commercially in the form of an app, to allow the area managers, shop
managers and drivers to communicate and manage collection scheduling in a more
dynamic way.
To book your place
please visit: Eventbrite:
O.R. & Oxfam
For further
information please contact: felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com
Note: Please note
parking is limited so you are advised to travel by public transport (there are excellent bus
links to the university from both train stations). If you do
require parking please contact me ASAP.
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