Optimization of timber procurement and logistics

Timber product supply chain management is quite different from others. The production, storage and delivery of timber product is affected not only by cost, but also by weather because most of timber product procurement is done outdoor. This paper concentrates on the study of one of the most complex systems, multistage timber production, which is very popular in vast forest regions of China and Russia. Based on case studies from the Heilongjiang Forest Region, in the northeast part of China, optimal operation planning for timber product supply chain management, and the impact of harvesting on the forest environment, economic benefit and working safety, is carried using a multi-objective optimization model. The results of the case studies, optimizing operation time schedules, show that the models are quite applicable and helpful to practical operations.