Using Operational Research for Supply Chain Planning in the Forest Products Industry

Over the years, Operational Research (OR) has been used extensively to support the forest products industry and public forestry organizations (e.g., governments, environmental protection groups) in their respective planning activities concerning the flow of wood fiber from the forest to the customer. The applications deal with a wide range of problems, ranging from long-term strategic problems related to forest management or company development to very short-term operational problems, such as planning for real-time log/chip transportation or cutting. This paper presents an overview of the different planning problems and reviews the past contributions in the field of forestry, with a focus on applications and problem descriptions. In the context of the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Operational Research Society, this paper also recognizes the contributions of many Canadian researchers to the field of forestry management.