ISyE 6203

Transportation and Supply Chain Systems

Spring 2021
Administrative Info

Instructor: Anton J. Kleywegt

Office: Groseclose 409
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 12:15pm–1:15pm
e-mail: Anton.Kleywegt@isye.gatech.edu
WWW URL: http://www.isye.gatech.edu/faculty/Anton Kleywegt
Phone: (404) 894-4323
Fax: (404) 894-0390

Teaching Assistant: Xiaochen Shi

Office: ISyE Main Building
Office hours: Tuesdays 2:00pm–3:00pm
e-mail: <xshi74@gatech.edu>

Class Room: Klaus 1456

Class Times: Monday and Wednesday 11:00am–12:15pm

Preliminary Syllabus
This document is a syllabus for ISyE6203 Transportation and Supply Chain Systems to the
extent that plans can be made for the next 4 months when pandemic circumstances change
daily. I will do my best to adhere to these plans, but if it becomes necessary to change plans,
then we will do so in the most effective way possible.
Currently, ISyE6203 is scheduled to be a “Residential Course”. Thus, we are expected
to deliver and attend lectures as close to normal as possible, with the following provisions:
• Effective July 15, 2020, University System of Georgia (USG) institutions will require
all faculty and students to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus
facilities/buildings where six feet physical distancing is not maintained. Face covering
use will be in addition to and is not a substitute for physical distancing. Anyone not
using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or must leave the area.
Refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable
conduct code for faculty, staff or students. There are a few exemptions. Reasonable
accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for
documented health reasons. For more information about face masks and coverings,
review the guidelines from Human Resources.

• You are expected to attend the lectures unless you have a compelling reason not to do
so. Of course, we do not want you to attend lectures when you are sick, but otherwise
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 2

you are encouraged to attend lectures for several reasons: (a) The interactive nature of
the lectures will make the learning experience better if you are present in the classroom.
(b) As usual, we plan to have a substantial number of quizzes/tests and case study
discussions in the course. If possible, you have to be present in class to get credit for
these activities.

• I will try to make it possible to attend lectures through BlueJeans, in case it is needed.
I prefer not to mute other people’s microphones, in case people have comments or
questions to share. Therefore, if you attend a lecture through BlueJeans, you should
mute your own microphone (unless you have comments or questions to share), otherwise
it will add undesirable noise to the lecture recording. I cannot moderate a meeting in
class and simultaneously moderate a BlueJeans meeting, so do not expect the BlueJeans
meeting to be moderated. For example, do not expect responses to things that you
post in BlueJeans Chat. Again, unless plans change during the semester, you have to
attend case study discussions and quizzes/tests in-person to get course credit for these
activities.

• I will do my best to record our lectures, and place the recordings on Canvas. Unfor-
tunately it happens much more often than we hope for that equipment malfunction.
For example, it often happens that the classroom computer installs updates and then
does not function unless it is rebooted. Thus, recordings may fail or the quality of the
recordings may be poor, so please do not plan to rely on the recordings.

• It may happen that, similar to the Spring 2020 semester, sometime during the semester
a change of plans will be forced on us. So, as mentioned above, this document is a
statement of current plans, and I will do my best to adhere to these plans, but if
it becomes necessary to change plans, then we will do so in the most effective way
possible.

Description:
Logistics systems, with emphasis on supply chain and transportation systems, including

• the information systems that support transportation and supply chain systems;

• the interactions and trade-offs between these activities;

• models and techniques for the analysis of logistics systems and the development of
decision support systems;

• the activities of transportation and supply chain systems, such as transportation net-
work design, scheduling, routing, contracting, and pricing.

Objectives:

• to develop a familiarity with logistics concepts, especially transportation and supply

chain concepts;
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 3

• to understand the important issues in logistics system design and operation;

• to understand how actions of individual supply chain decision makers affect the behav-
ior of the supply chain system;

• to develop the ability to formulate models of systems and to analyze results obtained
with such models;

• to develop skills in applying a variety of techniques to solve logistics problems.

Prerequisites:
You must have completed a course in Optimization at the level of ISyE6669, and a course
in Probability models at the level of ISyE6650. You must be able to program in a language
such as C, C++, Java, Python, or matlab. (The second homework will require you to do
a significant amount of programming.) You must know how to use some basic software,
including a spreadsheet, a database, and an optimization solver such as CPlex, XPress,
or Gurobi. (There will be several homeworks that will require you to solve optimization
problems. This course does not teach optimization software — you will be expected to know
how to use optimization software.)

Textbook:
Any one of the following books is sufficient:

• Ghiani, G., Laporte, G., and Musmanno, R., Introduction to Logistics Systems Plan-
ning and Control, Wiley, 2004. Available for free at the following website:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/0470014040

• Ghiani, G., Laporte, G., and Musmanno, R., Logistics Systems Management, Wiley,
2013.

• Goetschalckx, M., Supply Chain Engineering, 2011.

References:

• Ballou, Ronald H., Business Logistics Management, 4th edition, Prentice Hall, Engle-
wood Cliffs, NJ, 1998.
• Ballou, Ronald H., Basic Business Logistics, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood
Cliffs, NJ, 1987.
• Blanchard, Benjamin S., Logistics Engineering and Management, 4th edition, Prentice
Hall, 1992.
• Bramel, J. and Simchi-Levi, D., The Logic of Logistics, Springer, New York, NY, 1997.

• Coyle, John J., Bardi, Edward J., and Langley, C. John, The Management of Business
Logistics, 5th edition, West Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN, 1992.
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 4

• Daganzo, C. F., Logistics Systems Analysis, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany,

1999.

• Graves, Stephen C., Rinnooy Kan, Alexander H.G., and Zipkin, Paul H., Logistics of
Production and Inventory, North-Holland, 1993.
• Magee, John F., Copacino, William C., and Rosenfield, Donald B., Modern Logistics
Management, Wiley, New York, NY, 1985.
• Narasimhan, Seetharama L., McLeavey, Dennis W., and Billington, Peter J., Produc-
tion Planning and Inventory Control, 2nd. edition, Prentice Hall, 1995.
• Robeson, James F., Copacino, William C., and Howe, R. Edwin, The Logistics Hand-
book, Maxwell MacMillan, 1994.
• Tersine, Richard J., Principles of Inventory and Materials Management, 3rd edition,
North-Holland, 1988.
• Vollmann, Thomas E., Berry, William L., and Whybark, D. Clay, Integrated Production
and Inventory Management, Business One Irwin, 1993.

Topics Covered:

• Supply Chain Economics

• Estimation and Forecasting

• Transportation Modes

• Transportation Operations, Planning, and Scheduling

• Logistics System Design

• Pricing and Revenue Management

Grading:
Grades will be assigned as follows:

• Homework: 15%

• Case studies and class participation: 15%

• Quizzes/tests: 70%

Homework:
Homework will be assigned approximately once every two weeks. You should start working
on each homework early, that way you will have time to ask (and understand) questions in
class before the homework is due.
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 5

Late assignments will be graded as follows: The time that the assignment is late is
rounded up to the nearest day, call this number n. Then 20n% is deducted from your assign-
ment grade for late submission. For example, if your assignment is submitted 30 minutes
late, and your assignment grade before deduction is 35/50, then your assignment grade after
deduction is 35/50 − 0.2 = 25/50.
You may discuss homework and learn from each other, but you may not copy work from
each other, and each person must submit his/her own work, unless the homework specifically
indicates that you should work in groups.
Any queries on homework grades must be submitted in writing to the instructor, together
with the homework in question. The last homework of the semester may be due on the Final
Instructional Class Day, April 26, 2021.

Case Studies:
Preparation is necessary for the case study discussions. Both in-class and distance learning
students must submit their case study preparation work through Canvas before the start of
the class period for which the case study discussion is scheduled.
In-class students must attend class for the case study discussions, and grades will be
assigned for both case study preparation as well as participation in class. The instructor will
attempt to give each person in class opportunities to participate. At the end of the semester
the participation grade for each student will be the average of the student’s participation
grades, thus a smaller number of such grades does not penalize the student. However,
absence from class leads to a grade of 0 for the case study. Only unavoidable emergencies
such as hospitalization of the student or death in the family qualify as an excuse to miss a
case study discussion. No excuses are given for absence from case study discussions and no
opportunities are given for make-up work for job interviews, project meetings, athletics, or
similar activities.
Distance learning students will receive grades based on case study preparation only (and
this grade will constitute the total case study part of the semester grade).

Quizzes/tests/exams:
Quizzes/tests/exams will cover material discussed in class, as well as reading assignments
and case study discussions. Quizzes/tests/exams will be comprehensive and closed book.
The plan is to give 8 quizzes during the semester. Quizzes may or may not be announced in
advance. Absence from a quiz leads to a grade of 0 for the quiz. Only unavoidable emergen-
cies such as sickness of the student confirmed in writing by a medical professional, or death
in the family qualify as an excuse to miss a quiz. We only accept notifications from the
Dean’s office or Institute Approved Absences. The following are links to the online request
forms: https://gatech-advocate.symplicity.com/care report/index.php/pid167160
https://registrar.gatech.edu/info/institute-approved-absence-form-for-students
Please inform the instructor of your approved absences timely. If the notification from the
Dean’s office is for the instructor’s discretion, then it is your responsibility to reach an
agreement regarding accommodations with the instructor as soon as possible. The accom-
modation may include a separate assessment, such as a separate quiz, or dropping the quiz
that you missed and rescaling the grades for your remaining quizzes. If your documentation
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 6

is fraudulent in any way, or if you falsify in any way your reasons for missing a quiz, you
will receive a grade of F in the course. No excuses are given for absence from quizzes for job
interviews, senior design meetings, athletics, or similar activities. No make-up quizzes will
be given. Your semester grade will be calculated by dropping one and only one quiz with
the lowest grade. Any queries regarding quiz grades must be submitted in writing to the
instructor, together with the quiz in question, within 1 week of the solution being posted.

Quiz and Exam Rules:

• All exams and quizzes are closed-book and closed-notes.

• Unless you are explicitly told that a calculator is allowed on a quiz or exam, there
should not be any calculator within your reach during a quiz or exam. If you are
explicitly told that a calculator is allowed on a quiz or exam, then you may use a
calculator that can only function as a calculator, and nothing else. No communication
device, such as a mobile phone or device that facilitates access to the internet, may be
within your reach during a quiz or an exam, not even if you use it as a calculator. In
most quizzes and exams no calculator will be allowed.

• You may bring a wristwatch that can function as a watch and nothing else. You may
not use any other electronic equipment (unless you are explicitly told that a calculator
is allowed). In particular, no electronic equipment that allows you to communicate
with others, either inside or outside the exam room, or make web queries, or store
notes, may be within your reach during a quiz or an exam, not even if you use it to
check the time.

• You will not be permitted to go to the restroom during a quiz or exam. No exceptions,
so be sure to go before class. If you have a medical reason why this rule is a problem
for you, then you have to arrange in advance with the dean of students to take the
exam proctored by their personnel.

• Cheating on quizzes and exams will not be tolerated in this course. You may not:

– Attempt to look at someone else’s exam (even for a second).

– Copy from someone else’s exam,
– Let someone else copy from your exam. (Cover your exam!)
– Bring or look at any information during the exam (e.g. on your person).
– Wear caps or headphones/earbuds of any kind.
– Use unacceptable electronic equipment.
– Undertake any other activity that can be construed as giving/receiving or at-
tempting to give/receive help during the exam.

If you violate any of these rules, then you will receive an F in the course.
ISyE 6203 · Spring 2021 7

Classroom Rules:

• The list of Georgia Tech Student-Faculty Expectations ia available at

http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/22/.

• No mobile phone use in the class. That means no talking, texting, checking email,
surfing the internet, or any other mobile phone use in the class.

• No newspaper reading in the class.

• You may bring your laptops to class. However, no checking email or surfing the internet
during class unless you are explicitly allowed to do so.

Academic Honor Code:

All course participants (myself, teaching assistant, and students) are expected and required
to abide by the Georgia Tech Honor Code. The Georgia Tech Honor Code is available at
http://osi.gatech.edu/content/honor-code. Please familiarize yourself with the code,
and use it to guide your conduct. Specifically, you must do your own work in all quizzes
and exams. Any form of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, can result in a serious
deduction from your final grade or even a grade of F in the course.

Disability Services:
Information about Georgia Tech Disability Services can be obtained at
http://disabilityservices.gatech.edu. For Covid-19, individuals who fall into higher
risk groups, as defined by the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention, may request an accommodation. Students seeking an academic
accommodation should start by contacting the Office of Disability Services.