%0 Research article
%T Three mathematical models for bucking-to-order
%A Marshall, Hamish D.
%A Murphy, Glen
%A Boston, Kevin
%D 2006
%J Silva Fennica
%V 40
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.356
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/356
%X The aim of this paper is to investigate different mathematical  approaches to buck-to-order log merchandizing. A new bucking-to-order  planning model using mixed integer programming was developed to  determine the optimal production from a stand given different market  constraints and forest inventory data. Three different approaches:  market prices, target cutting patterns and adjusted price list were  tested for generating cutting instructions to fulfill the plan created  by the new planning model. The three approaches were evaluated in four  test stands. The market prices approach simply applied the market prices  to each stand. The target cutting patterns approach applied the sample  cutting patterns generated from the planning model to the stand. The  adjusted price list used a dynamic programming algorithm embedded in a  search heuristic to adjust both the prices and small end diameters of  log products to achieve the production goals of the planning models. The  results showed that developing a buck-to-order plan is important in  obtaining good order fulfillment. The target cutting patterns and  adjusted price list approaches certainly out performed the market prices  approach. This paper shows that these two approaches are capable of  achieving excellent order fulfillment. Further development and testing  is needed to determine which method is the best at generating cutting  instructions for buck-to-order merchandizing.