In summary, you need to develop a logistic integer programming $($IP$)$ model, perform appropriate analysis using Excel spreadsheet and solver, recommend a distribution system to be implemented by the hospital, and finally, present a formal business communication report. To be considered for any credit, your submission must contain the followings:

A cover page listing the names of all team member$($s$).$ No names can be added after the submission.

An executive summary outlining the logistic problem, available business actions to solve the problem as well as the final decisions and recommendations based on your analysis.

A logistic network diagram showing the origins and their capacities, destinations and their demands, all possible logistic connections $($bounds$)$ between these two groups of entities and their respective times. The diagram must be fully labeled.

An integer program $($IP$)$ formulation which is used to optimize this distribution system. Label or write remarks of the objective function and the various constraints if you like.

A print out of your cell formulations programmed to the Excel spreadsheet. Be sure you type your name$($s$)$ on the spreadsheet before printing it out. Use the formula display function in Excel to reveal the cell formulation before printing.

A print out of the optimal solution $($i$.$e$.,$ optimal routing plan$)$ obtained by Excel. Be sure you type your name$($s$)$ on the spreadsheet before printing it out.

A brief narrative discussion describing the general problem as well as explaining the logistic model and how you perform the analysis and come up with the final decisions and recommendations. Justifications to your recommendations are also welcome.

Northwest General Hospital Micro$-$logistics Delivery Plan

Northwest General, a large hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, has initiated a new procedure to ensure that patients receive their meals while the food is still as hot as possible. The hospital will continue to prepare the food in its kitchen, but will now deliver it in bulk $($not individual servings$)$ to one of three new serving stations in the building. From there, the food will be reheated, meals will be placed on individual trays, loaded onto a cart, and distributed to the various floors and wings of the hospital.

The three new serving stations are as efficiently located as possible to reach the various hallways in the hospital. The number of trays that each station can serve are shown below:

$\backslash$table$[[$LOCATION$,$CAPACITY $($MEALS$)],[$Station $5$A$,200],[$Station $3$G$,225],[$Station $1$S$,275]]$

There are six wings in Northwest General that the serving stations are to deliver the means to$.$ The number of patients $($i$.$e$.$ the needed number of meals$)$ in each wing is tabulated below:

$\backslash$table$[[$WING$,$PATIENTS$],[1,80],[2,120],[3,150],[4,210],[5,60],[6,80]]$

The purpose of this analysis and logistics design is to maintain the temperature of the hot meals that the patients receive. Therefore, the amount of time needed to deliver a tray from a serving station will determine the proper distribution of food from serving station to wing. The table below summarizes the time associated with each possible delivery route:

$\backslash$table$[[$DISTRIBUTION TIME $($minutes$)],[,$TO$,$Wing $1,$Wing $2,$Wing $3,$Wing $4,$Wing $5,$Wing $6],[$FROM$,,,,,,,],[$Station $5$A$,,12,11,8,9,6,6],[$Station $3$G$,,6,12,7,7,5,8],[$Station IS$,,8,9,6,6,7,9]]$