Optimization of the Supply Chain Management of Sugarcane in Cuba

In this chapter the authors present and discuss the problem of planning sugarcane harvesting–transportation–delivering to the mill for the supply chain management of the sugarcane. Furthermore, an optimization model for practical use is formulated and embedded into a decision support system (DSS) for planning daily operations. The objective function seeks to minimize transportation costs while assuring cane supply to the sugar mill. The model determines the fields to harvest, the cutting–loading–transport means for such operation, and the roster for each employee. Although the model has been developed and tested under Cuban conditions, it can easily be adapted to different situations updating the parameters of the model and the database of the DSS. Main reported savings represent 8 % of the fuel cost, apart from the workload reduction of mill managers in planning tasks.