Computer system for managing the sugar beet transport to sugar factory

An appropriate solving the transport organization in agriculture requires, among others, to work out the method for transportation means work organization. Issues associated with transportation means work organization is impossible to be optimally solved by a controller in the case of developed transport network, instead they require computational techniques for fast information processing. One of such methods is presented in the paper as a system for sugar--beet transport to sugar works. In sugar industry, large amounts of raw material are transported between sugar-beet producers or storage centers and processing works. Presented program makes possible to select transportation means for carrying the sugar-beet, and then working out the schedule of routes realized by vehicles. The paper presents the management system of sugar-beet transporting to the sugar works that optimizes the transportation means work. Minimization of courses length, because it directly affects the reduction of transportation costs by means of decrease of fuel and other exploitation parts used, shortening the driver's work-time, and decrease of fees for vehicle rental. The system was verified using real data for a given day, which confirmed the correctness of the software functioning. Working out and launching the software required to write databases containing necessary information on: sites the material was received from, amount of transported loads, transportation means, loading/reloading machines and devices along with their technical and exploitation parameters, as well as the project required to draw digital map with all analyzed purchase centers, sugar works, and all the road network. Minimization of routes was accepted as a purpose function, because it directly affects the reduction of transport costs through reducing the fuel and other exploitation means used, shortening the driver's work time or decreasing the fees for vehicle rental. The system was verified using real data for a particular date, which confirmed the correctness of the software functioning. Activity aiming at reducing production costs through elimination of unnecessary expenditures resulting from bad work organization would contribute to the improvement of competitiveness of Polish agriculture and enhancing its opportunities on EU markets. Proposed system for sugar-beet transport management at Sugar Works is an example of the system meeting such expectations.