Construction of a simulation model of the work of a transport and forwarding enterprise in organizing multimodal cargo transportation

The object of this study is the process of rendering transport and forwarding services when organizing multimodal cargo transportation in international traffic. The task to tackle was predetermined by the need to devise recommendations for choosing the optimal cargo transportation route, taking into account the individual requirements of the customer and performance indicators of the forwarders at the transport and forwarding company. A simulation model of the work of a transport and forwarding company in the organization of multimodal transportation of goods was built and implemented in the GPSS World simulation automation software. The model involves the optimization of the duration of service provision and makes it possible to determine the required number of transportation department specialists to enable effective cooperation with customers. When constructing the model, the duration of business processes in the organization of multimodal transportation was taken into account. In addition, the model accounts for the probability of errors and service delays, as well as the average delay time when errors occur, which will make it possible to take into account the additional work time of the forwarder to eliminate them. The application of the built model in practice will allow specialists at transport and forwarding companies to organize multimodal transportation according to several alternative routes that meet the individual needs of the customer. It will also make it possible to determine the optimal number of forwarders needed to work at the multimodal transportation department. In this case, the duration of rendering transport and forwarding services will be reduced by 12–16 %, the waiting time in queues for service will decrease by 9–13 %, and the efficiency of the work of specialists at the multimodal transportation department will increase by 9–14 %