Routing Solutions for the Service Industry

2011 ◽  
pp. 46-78
Author(s):  
Burcin Bozkaya ◽  
Buyang Cao ◽  
Kaan Aktolug
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Real World ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problems ◽  
Wide Applicability ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Bus Service

First introduced by Dantzig and Ramser over 50 years ago, vehicle routing problems (VRP) have drawn the attention of both academic researchers and practitioners due to its difficult-to-solve nature and hence its attractiveness in theoretical research as well as wide applicability in real-world settings. Today VRP is probably one of the most widely encountered types of problems for routing and distribution in the service industry. Examples include furniture delivery to a customer’s address, scheduling of bus service pick-up/drop-off for students or company personnel, or service technician routing. The goal of this chapter is to provide a background, mathematical model and various solution approaches on a more commonly encountered variant of the problem, namely the VRP with Time Windows (VRPTW). The authors also present three case studies from their experience in the service industry that are real applications of VRPTW. For each study, they describe the overall approach and methodology, and the positive contributions to the respective company which has implemented enterprise-scale GIS-based systems around the distribution problem of interest.

scholarly journals A heuristic algorithm for multiple trip vehicle routing problems with time window constraint and outside carrier selection

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-273
Author(s):  
Ching-Wu Chu ◽  
Hsiu-Li Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Cost Function ◽  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Heuristic Algorithm ◽  
Real World ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problems ◽  
Routing Problems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Total Cost Function

Purpose In this paper, the authors introduced a real world new problem, the multi-trip vehicle routing problem with time windows and the possible use of a less-than-truckload carrier to satisfy customer demands. The purpose of this paper is to develop a heuristic algorithm to route the private trucks with time windows and to make a selection between truckload and less-than-truckload carriers by minimizing a total cost function. Design/methodology/approach Both mathematical model and heuristic algorithm are developed for routing the private trucks with time windows and for selecting of less-than-truckload carriers by minimizing the total cost function. Findings In all, 40 test problems were examined with the heuristics. Computational results show that the algorithm obtains the optimal or near-optimal solutions efficiently in terms of time and accuracy. Originality/value The research described in this paper differs from the previous one on fleet planning or vehicle routing, in that it modifies the Clarke and Wright method by shifting the performance measure from a distance to cost and also incorporates the fixed cost of different types of trucks into the model. In addition, the authors simultaneously consider the multiple trip vehicle routing problems with time windows and the selection of less-than-truckload carriers that is an integrated scenario of real-world application. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this scenario has not been considered in the literature.

scholarly journals Self-imposed time windows in vehicle routing problems

OR Spectrum ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Jabali ◽  
Roel Leus ◽  
Tom Van Woensel ◽  
Ton de Kok
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problems ◽  
Routing Problems

Selecting meta-heuristics for solving vehicle routing problems with time windows via meta-learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 470-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres E. Gutierrez-Rodríguez ◽  
Santiago E. Conant-Pablos ◽  
José C. Ortiz-Bayliss ◽  
Hugo Terashima-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problems ◽  
Routing Problems ◽  
Meta Learning

scholarly journals Solving Practical Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows Using Metaheuristic Algorithms

1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Taner ◽  
Ante Galić ◽  
Tonči Carić
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Real World ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Iterated Local Search ◽  
Metaheuristic Algorithms ◽  
Benchmark Problems ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Constructive Heuristics ◽  
Initial Feasible Solution

This paper addresses the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) and shows that implementing algorithms for solving various instances of VRPs can significantly reduce transportation costs that occur during the delivery process. Two metaheuristic algorithms were developed for solving VRPTW: Simulated Annealing and Iterated Local Search. Both algorithms generate initial feasible solution using constructive heuristics and use operators and various strategies for an iterative improvement. The algorithms were tested on Solomon’s benchmark problems and real world vehicle routing problems with time windows. In total, 44 real world problems were optimized in the case study using described algorithms. Obtained results showed that the same distribution task can be accomplished with savings up to 40% in the total travelled distance and that manually constructed routes are very ineffective.

scholarly journals POPMUSIC for a real-world large-scale vehicle routing problem with time windows

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 934-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Ostertag ◽  
K F Doerner ◽  
R F Hartl ◽  
E D Taillard ◽  
P Waelti
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Real World ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Routing Problem
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