A Crowdsourced Approach for Supply Chain Network Optimization Using Hub and Spoke Model.

Crowdsourced delivery is considered a possible solution to the last-mile on-demand delivery challenge. This paper aims to identify and analyze an optimized & efficient supply chain network solved with hub and spoke model using a crowdsourced approach. For this approach, a well-known retail company of Bangladesh is considered that automatically creates matches between parcel delivery tasks and ad hoc drivers. This platform is a chain of Bangladeshi department stores specializing in Bengali ethnic wear and handicrafts. The secondary data is collected from the company. The performance of the crowdsourced last-mile delivery is investigated with regard to service level and assets utilization. The main focus of the resulting model is to minimize the total transportation cost and how crowdsourcing will affect the whole chain. Hub and spoke distribution paradigm is a form of transport topology optimization in which traffic planners organize routes as a series of "spokes" that connect outlying points to a central "hub". The supply chain network includes a number of manufacturers, suppliers, distributer locations and demand points which need to be located not just randomly but as a result of careful calculation to minimize the overall cost and increase the supply chain surplus. The presented model and analysis are the results of an experiment of the supply chain network of the platform toward engaging in social network-reliant package delivery. The hub and spoke model is an excellent approach to make the whole system more robust and agile by receiving products from many different origins, consolidating the products and sending them directly to destinations. Crowdsourcing is the process of obtaining ideas, services or information by soliciting feedback from a large group of people. Here in this paper, the effects of crowdsourcing on the supply chain is emphasized by using a linear programming model in MATLAB. The result will be evaluated and analyzed for further improvement and practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]