eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics 2328-7292 2017-07-06 5 2 54 61 10.12691/ajams-5-2-3 AJAMS2017523 article Opara Jude judend88@yahoo.com 1 Oruh Ben Ifeanyichukwu 2 Iheagwara Andrew Ihuoma 3 Esemokumo Perewarebo Akpos 4 Department of Statistics, Imo State University, PMB 2000, Owerri Nigeria Department of Mathematics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria Procurement Officer/Director Planning, Research & Statistics, Nigeria Erosion & Watershed Management Project (World Bank-Assisted), Ministry of Petroleum & Environment, Plot 36, chief Executive Quarters, Area 'B', New Owerri, Nigeria Department of Statistics, School of Applied Science, Federal Polytechnic Ekewe, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria In this research, a new and efficient approach of finding an initial basic feasible solution to transportation problems is proposed. The proposed approach is named 'Inverse Coefficient of Variation Method (ICVM)', and the method is illustrated with seven numerical examples. Six existing methods; North West Corner Method (NWCM), Column Minimum Method (CMM), Least Cost Method (LCM), Row Minimum Method (RMM),Vogel's Approximation Method (VAM), and Allocation Table Method (ATM) were compared with the proposed approach. It can be said conclusively that the proposed Inverse Coefficient of Variation Method (ICVM) provides an improved Initial Basic Feasible Solution to all the transportation problems used in the experiment. Further, the new method leads to the optimal solution to many of the problems considered. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajams/5/2/3/ajams-5-2-3.pdf transportation problem inverse coefficient of variation method initial basic feasible solution optimal solution proposed algorithm