An Optimization Web Service for a Freight Brokering System

Freight brokering is a real-life business problem that attempts to match the logistic capabilities of transportation providers with the needs of merchandise owners. From a service science perspective, the clients and transporters interacting through the matchmaking system create mutual value by minimizing client costs, maximizing business opportunities, increasing competition, and reducing operational risks. A general architecture of such a system is presented, which combines web services and agents in order to benefit from the advantages of both approaches: on the one hand interoperability and flexibility in heterogeneous systems, and on the other hand autonomy and the ability to represent the interests of particular users. The matchmaking is treated as an optimization problem solved with the help of a separate web service, and special emphasis is given to the details of the optimization mechanism.