A Hybrid Electromagnetism-Like Algorithm for Supplier Selection in Make-to-Order Planning

An electromagnetism algorithm is a meta-heuristic proposed to derive approximate solutions for computationally hard problems. In the literature, several successful applications have been reported for graph-based optimization problems, such as scheduling problems. This paper presents an application of the electromagnetism algorithm to supplier selection in a production planning process where there are multiple products and multiple customers and also capacity constraints. We consider a situation where the demand quantity of multiple discrete products is known over a planning horizon. The required raw material for each of these products can be purchased from a set of approved suppliers. Also, a demand-dependent delivery time (due date) and maximum delivery time (deadline) apply for each demand. Problems containing all these assumptions have not been addressed previously in the literature. A decision needs to be made regarding what raw material to order and in what quantities, which suppliers and, finally, at which periods. Numerical results indicate that the electromagnetism algorithm exhibits impressive performances with small error ratios. The results support the success of the electromagnetism algorithm application to the supplier selection problem of interest.