Transportation problem is an important optimization technique in operations research used for minimizing the cost of distributing goods from multiple sources to various destinations. This study focuses on different methods for obtaining the initial basic feasible solution, namely North-West Corner Method (NWCM), Least Cost Method (LCM), and Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM). Each method was analysed based on its procedure, efficiency, and cost outcome using a common example. The results showed that NWCM gave a cost of ₹1180, LCM reduced it to ₹1080, and VAM provided the minimum cost of ₹1020. The study also included steps and solutions of each method for better understanding. It was observed that methods considering cost and penalties give more efficient results. Overall, the transportation problem provides a systematic approach for cost optimization and effective resource allocation in real-life distribution systems.
Kerai et al. (Sat,) studied this question.