Managing optimization of a network flow

A computer program product for managing optimization of a transportation network system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions processed by a processing circuit to cause the device to perform a method comprising:

• identifying a set of items for transportation between a set of origins and a set of destinations during a set of time periods;
• prioritizing each of the set of items;
• utilizing a set of network constraints and costs;
• utilizing a set of loading constraints for a set of transportation units, the loading constraints limiting the quantity and placement of items for each transportation unit;
• optimizing a quantity of the set of transportation units for transporting the set of items between the set of origins and the set of destinations during the set of time periods based on the prioritization of each of the set of items, the network constraints and costs, and the loading constraints for each transportation unit;
• and
• adjusting the optimized quantity of transportation units to a discrete quantity based on the prioritization of each of the set of items and the network constraints and costs.

A data processing system for managing optimization of a transportation network system, the data processing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing program instructions which when processed by the processor perform the steps of:
• identifying a set of items for transportation between a set of origins and a set of destinations during a set of time periods;
• prioritizing each of the set of items;
• utilizing a set of network constraints and costs;
• utilizing a set of loading constraints for a set of transportation units, the loading constraints limiting the quantity and placement of items for each transportation unit;
• optimizing a quantity of the set of transportation units for transporting the set of items between the set of origins and the set of destinations during the set of time periods based on the prioritization of each of the set of items, the network constraints and costs, and the loading constraints for each transportation unit;
• and
• adjusting the optimized quantity of transportation units to a discrete quantity based on the prioritization of each of the set of items and the network constraints and costs.