Using a demand-based approach, Quetica performed supply chain and transportation network analysis for the Nebraska Department of Transportation, in order to effectively identify and prioritize investment opportunities for an optimized freight network that lowers transportation costs for Nebraska businesses and promotes business growth. This model development was undertaken simultaneously with Nebraska’s Statewide Freight Plan.
An important element of the optimization development process was the integration of public sector commodity flow data from the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF, version 4) and private sector transportation system management data. The integration of various data sources allowed Quetica to understand total demand for the area of analysis, while private sector data provides supply chain details about shipping methods, as well as cost benchmarks. The outreach with Nebraska freight stakeholders yielded over one million private shipping records, to provide supply chain cost benchmarks for the state.
Results from analyses being conducted for the Statewide Freight Plan were used to support the optimization model development. Nebraska officials view the optimization tool as an on-going resource for freight project prioritization, as well as, a resource to identify future economic development opportunities.
