Chapter 6: Network Models
6.1 Introduction
In operations management, network models are powerful tools for solving problems that
involve connecting points, transporting goods, or determining optimal routes.
There are three major techniques:
1. Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique – connects all points of a network while minimizing
total distance.
2. Maximal-Flow Technique – determines the maximum possible flow of resources, vehicles,
or goods through a network.
3. Shortest-Route Technique – finds the path with the least distance between two locations.
A network consists of:
- Nodes: points in the system (e.g., cities, warehouses, houses).
- Arcs: lines that connect the nodes (e.g., roads, pipes, or telephone lines).
These techniques are widely applied in transportation, communication, distribution, and
infrastructure planning.
6.2 Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique
This technique is used when all points in a network must be connected, but with the
minimum total distance or cost.
Steps:
1. Start from any node.
2. Connect it to the nearest node.
3. From the connected nodes, find the nearest unconnected node.
4. Continue until all nodes are connected.
Example:
A construction company needs to connect houses with telephone lines. By applying the
technique step by step, the final solution ensures that all houses are connected with the
shortest total wiring distance.
(Figures 6.1 to 6.5 show the process, from the initial network to the final minimal-spanning
tree solution.)
6.3 Maximal-Flow Technique
This technique is used when the goal is to determine the maximum amount of flow that can
move through a network. The flow could be traffic on roads, water in pipelines, or goods
through distribution channels.
Steps:
1. Select any path from the source to the destination that still has capacity.
2. Identify the smallest capacity along that path (the bottleneck).
3. Adjust the flows by subtracting capacity in the direction of travel and adding capacity in
the reverse direction.
4. Repeat until no more flow can be added.
Example:
A city plans a road system and wants to know how many cars can travel per hour from the
east to the west side. Each road has a certain capacity. After several iterations, the
maximum flow through the system is determined (Figures 6.6 to 6.9).
6.4 Shortest-Route Technique
This technique finds the shortest path between two points in a network. It is commonly
used in transportation, distribution, and logistics.
Steps:
1. Start at the origin and assign it a distance of zero.
2. Find the nearest node and record its distance.
3. Move to the next nearest node, checking if a shorter path exists through previously
connected nodes.
4. Continue until the destination node is reached.
Example:
A furniture company must deliver items from a plant to a warehouse. Distances between
cities are given. By applying the technique step by step, the shortest delivery route is found
(Figures 6.10 to 6.14).
Summary
- The Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique connects all nodes with the minimum distance.
- The Maximal-Flow Technique finds the maximum flow through a network.
- The Shortest-Route Technique determines the least-distance path between two points.
These techniques provide managers with systematic methods for solving real-life problems
in construction, transportation, and logistics.