A Heuristic Approach to Resolve Priority-Driven Unbalanced Transportation Problem (PUTP)

This research addresses the priority-driven unbalanced transportation Problem (PUTP), characterized by a situation where the overall demand surpasses the available supply. We propose the Max-flow Min-cost Priority-driven Unbalanced Transportation Problem (MMPUTP) as a heuristic approach to handle this issue effectively. The strategy of MMPUTP focuses on optimizing resource allocation and reducing costs, making it highly effective in fulfilling high priority needs in a cost-efficient manner. Through a comparison with Vogel's Approximation Method (VAM) over different sets of problems ranging in size from 5 × 5 to 50 × 50, the effectiveness of the MMPUTP algorithm is evident. The findings underscore the significance of choosing the right algorithm based on the size and complexity of the problem set in the context of the Priority-driven Unbalanced Transportation Problem, with MMPUTP proving to be a flexible and reliable option in various situations.