Patent ID: 8639549

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for determining a configuration for a supply chain for a cylinder gas distribution network, the method comprising: receiving a set of input data characterizing attributes of the supply chain to be configured, wherein the input data includes at least (i) a set of potential locations for one or more distribution hubs and one or more filling plants for the supply chain, (ii) a set of one or more customer locations, (iii) a set of one or more products available to be delivered to the customers from the distribution hubs; merging the input data characterizing the set of one or more products into normalized data characterizing one normalized product, wherein the normalized product is based on a uniform reference volume for cylinders distributed using the supply chain; determining, by operation of an equivalent cylinder solver executing on a processor, a secondary transportation solution, wherein the secondary transportation solution fixes one or more locations for distribution hubs from the set of potential locations, and specifies transportation flows from the fixed distribution hubs to each of the set of one or more customers using the normalized product; determining, by operation of a primary stock solver executing on the processor, a primary transportation solution, wherein the primary transportation solution fixes one or more locations for filling plants, from the set of potential locations, and specifies transportation flows from the fixed filling plants to the fixed distribution hubs using the secondary transportation solution; and applying a heuristic rule to at least a first one of the distribution hubs fixed by the equivalent cylinder solver, wherein the heuristic rule fixes the first one of the distribution hubs as a filling plant in the primary transportation solution determined by the primary stock solver.