Transportation Problem

Self Test Questions

Theory

1. Describe the transportation problem with its general mathematical formulation.

2. Explain the following:

 North west corner rule

 Matrix minimum method
 Vogel approximation method

3. Explain the following with the help of an example:

 Unbalanced transportation problem

 Maximization in a transportation problem
 Degeneracy
 Prohibited routes

4. Discuss the similarities and differences between the stepping stone method and the MODI
method in solving a transportation problem.

5. Fill in the blanks

i. The objective of a transportation problem is to …………………. the transportation cost.

ii. The constraints of a transportation problem are ………………….
iii. If a transportation problem has m factories and n retail shops the number of variables is
…………………. and the number of constraints is …………………

Practical

1. A factory has three warehouses W1, W2 and W3 which supply to four stores S1, S2, S3 and
S4. Monthly capacities of the warehouses are W1 = 100 units, W2 = 40 units and W3 = 60 units.
Monthly demands at the stores are S1 = 30 units, S2 = 50 units, S3 = 65 units and S4= 55 units.
The shipping cost in terms of rupees from warehouses to stores is as given below:

Stores

Warehouses S1 S2 S3 S4
 W1 14 16 12 20

W2 12 14 10 8

W3 10 16 8 15

The problem here is to determine the optimum distribution for the factory to minimize shipping
costs.

2. Solve the following transportation problems.

(a)

Stores

Factories 1 2 3 Supply

1 2 7 4 5

2 3 3 1 8

3 5 4 7 7

4 1 6 2 14

Demand 7 9 18 34

(b)

Stores

Factorie Suppl
A B C D E F
s y

1 1 2 1 4 5 1 30
2 3 3 2 1 4 3 50
3 4 2 5 9 6 2 75
4 3 1 7 3 4 6 20
Demand 20 40 30 10 50 25  
(c)

  X Y Z ai

A 8 7 3 60
B 3 8 9 70
C 11 3 5 80
bj 50 80 80  

(d)

  D1 D2 D3 D4 ai

O1 10 7 3 6 3
O2 1 6 8 3 5
O3 7 4 5 3 7
bj 3 2 6 4 15

(e)

  D1 D2 D3 ai

O1 7 3 3 4

O2 3 1 4 1

O3 4 3 6 5

bj 2 3 5 10

(f)

  D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 ai

O1 9 12 9 6 9 10 5

O2 7 3 7 7 5 5 6

O3 6 5 9 11 3 11 2
 O4 6 8 11 2 2 10 2

bj 4 4 6 2 4 2  

(g)

  D1 D2 D3 D4 ai

O1 4 3 0 5 24

O2 1 2 6 1 17

O3 3 6 2 3 19

bj 15 19 18 8 60

3. Solve the following transportation problems by Stepping Stone Method and MODI method:

(a)

Distributor

Factory 1 2 3 Inventory

1 2 1 5 10

2 7 3 4 25

3 6 5 3 20

Order 15 22 18 55

(b)

Availabl
Plant Market
e

  A B C D  

X 19 30 50 10 7

Y 70 30 40 60 9

Z 40 8 70 20 18
Require
5 8 7 14  
d

(c)

Availabl
Plant Market
e

  A B C D  

X 14 9 18 6 11

Y 10 11 7 16 13

Z 25 20 11 34 19

Require
6 10 12 15  
d

(d)

Availabl
Plant Market
e

  A B C D  

X 10 22 0 20 8

Y 15 20 12 8 13

Z 20 12 10 15 11

Require
5 11 8 8  
d

(e)

Tota
  D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
l

O1 12 4 9 5 9 55

O2 8 1 6 6 7 45

O3 1 12 4 7 7 30
 O4 10 15 6 9 1 50

Total 40 20 50 30 40  

(f)

  D1 D2 D3 Total

O1 2 4 1 40

O2 6 3 2 50

O3 4 5 6 20

O4 3 2 1 30

O5 5 2 5 10

Total 50 60 40 150

4. Solve the following transportation problem.

Furnaces Mills  

Tota
  M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
l

F1 4 2 3 2 6 8

F2 5 4 5 2 1 12

F3 6 5 4 7 3 14

Requiremen
4 4 6 8 8  
t