Dynamic vehicle routing problems: Three decades and counting

Since the late 70s, much research activity has taken place on the class of dynamic vehicle routing problems (DVRP), with the time period after year 2000 witnessing a real explosion in related papers. Our paper sheds more light into work in this area over more than 3 decades by developing a taxonomy of DVRP papers according to 11 criteria. These are (1) type of problem, (2) logistical context, (3) transportation mode, (4) objective function, (5) fleet size, (6) time constraints, (7) vehicle capacity constraints, (8) the ability to reject customers, (9) the nature of the dynamic element, (10) the nature of the stochasticity (if any), and (11) the solution method. We comment on technological vis-à-vis methodological advances for this class of problems and suggest directions for further research. The latter include alternative objective functions, vehicle speed as decision variable, more explicit linkages of methodology to technological advances and analysis of worst case or average case performance of heuristics.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Un modelo para resolver el problema dinámico de despacho de vehículos con incertidumbre de clientes y con tiempos de viaje en arcos

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloIn a real world case scenario, customer demands are requested at any time of the day requiring services that are not known in advance such as delivery or repairing equipment. This is called Dynamic Vehicle Routing (DVR) with customer uncertainty environment. The link travel time for the roadway network varies with time as traffic fluctuates adding an additional component to the dynamic environment. This paper presents a model for solving the DVR problem while combining these two dynamic aspects (customer uncertainty and link travel time). The proposed model employs Greedy, Insertion, and Ant Colony Optimization algorithms. The Greedy algorithm is utilized for constructing new routes with existing customers, and the remaining two algorithms are employed for rerouting as new customer demands appear. A real world application is presented to simulate vehicle routing in a dynamic environment for the city of Taipei, Taiwan. The simulation shows that the model can successfully plan vehicle routes to satisfy all customer demands and help managers in the decision making process.En un escenario real, los pedidos de los clientes son solicitados a cualquier hora del día requiriendo servicios que no han sido planificados con antelación tales como los despachos o la reparación de equipos. Esto es llamado ruteo dinámico de vehículos (RDV) considerando un ambiente con incertidumbre de clientes. El tiempo de viaje en una red vial varía con el tiempo a medida que el tráfico vehicular fluctúa agregando una componente adicional al ambiente dinámico. Este artículo propone un modelo para resolver el problema RDV combinando estos dos aspectos dinámicos. El modelo propuesto utiliza los algoritmos Greedy, Inserción y optimización basada en colonias de hormigas. El algoritmo Greedy es utilizado para construir nuevas rutas con los clientes existentes y los otros dos algoritmos son usados para rutear vehículos a medida que surjan nuevos clientes con sus respectivos pedidos. Además, se presenta una aplicación real para simular el ruteo vehicular en un ambiente dinámico para la ciudad de Taipei, Taiwán. Esta simulación muestra que el modelo es capaz de planificar exitosamente las rutas vehiculares satisfaciendo los pedidos de los clientes y de ayudar los gerentes en el proceso de toma de decisiones.http://ref.scielo.org/3ryfh

Optimizing Fresh Agricultural Product Distribution Paths Under Demand Uncertainty

Consumers' demand for fresh agricultural products (FAPs) and their quality requirements are increasing in the current agricultural-product consumption market. FAPs' unique perishability and short shelf-life features mean a high level of delivery efficiency is required to ensure their freshness and quality. However, consumers' demand for FAPs is contingent and geographically dispersed. Therefore, the conflicting relationship between the costs associated with the logistics distribution and the level of delivery quality is important to consider. In this paper, the authors consider a fresh agricultural-product distribution path planning problem with time windows (FAPDPPPTW). To address the FAPDPPPTW under demand uncertainty, a mixed-integer linear programming model based on robust optimization is proposed. Moreover, a particle swarm optimization algorithm combined with a variable neighborhood search is designed to solve the proposed mathematical model. The numerical experiment results show the robustness and fast convergence of the algorithm.</p

Analysis of the characteristics and applications associated to the dynamic vehicle routing problem - DVRP

El Problema del Ruteo Dinámico de Vehículos - DVRP, permite analizar sistemas con la inclusión de una variable de carácter dinámico, ajustando el ruteo en función de nuevas restricciones y comportamientos a nivel de desarrollo de dimensiones temporales y desarrollo constructivo con información en tiempo real. Este problema se ha clasificado en diferentes sistemas, de acuerdo a su aplicabilidad y algoritmos de solución, además del efecto del dinamismo presente. Sin embargo, no todas las características y diferencias frente al ruteo estocástico clásico, han sido mencionadas y resaltadas, debido a su reciente desarrollo, así como la limitada investigación desarrollada. Por tal motivo el presente artículo, plantea la realización de un análisis de las principales características y aplicaciones asociadas a los problemas de ruteo dinámico de vehículos., a través de una revisión bibliográfica con el propósito de brindar información acerca de las características principales, fortalezas respecto al problema clásico y sus aplicaciones para solución. La metodología empleada, incluye una investigación cualitativa, basada en la búsqueda sistemática en bases de datos acerca del DVRP, en últimos cuatro años (2011-2014). Se concluye que el problema de ruteo dinámico de vehículos, permite establecer y analizar sistemas de ruteo, con la inclusión de una variable de carácter dinámico, permitiendo la aplicación y ajuste de heurísticas y metaheurísticas, permitiendo abarcar nuevos sistemas de análisis a nivel logístico. De la misma manera se evidencia que existe un comportamiento variable con tendencia a la baja, en referencia al número de publicaciones relacionadas con el tema, reflejando, un potencial de investigación y desarrollo inexplorado en referencia a la aplicación y ajuste de la temáticaThe Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem- DVRP allows analyzing systems with the inclusion of a dynamic variable, adjusting the routing in function of new restrictions and behaviors at the development level of temporal dimensions and constructive development with real-time information. This problem has been classified into different systems, according to their applicability and solution algorithms, besides the current dynamic effect. However, not all features and differences compared to classical stochastic routing have been mentioned and highlighted because of their recent development, as well as limited research developed. Therefore, the present article proposes to carry out an analysis about the main features and applications associated with the dynamic routing vehicle problem, through a literature review with the purpose of providing information about the main characteristics, strengths compared to the classical problem and its applications to solution. The methodology includes a qualitative research based on a systematic search in databases about DVRP in last four years (2011-2014). As main conclusion, is related that the DVRP allows establishing and analyzing routing systems, with the inclusion of a variable dynamic, allowing the application and set of heuristics and metaheuristics, allowing embrace new analysis systems in a logistical level. Likewise, it is evident that there is a variable behavior downtrend, referring to the number of publications related to the theme, reflecting unexplored potential in research and development in reference to the application and setting the them

Two-Phase Multi-Swarm PSO and the Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem

Abstract-In this paper a new 2-phase multi-swarm Particle Swarm Optimization approach to solving Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem is proposed and compared with our previous single-swarm approach and with the PSO-based method proposed by other authors. Furthermore, several evaluation functions and problem encodings are proposed and experimentally verified on a set of standard benchmark sets. For a cut-off time set in the middle of a day our method found new best-literature results for 17 out of 21 tested problem instances

Dynamic Collection Scheduling Using Remote Asset Monitoring: Case Study in the UK Charity Sector

Remote sensing technology is now coming onto the market in the waste collection sector. This technology allows waste and recycling receptacles to report their fill levels at regular intervals. This reporting enables collection schedules to be optimized dynamically to meet true servicing needs in a better way and so reduce transport costs and ensure that visits to clients are made in a timely fashion. This paper describes a real-life logistics problem faced by a leading UK charity that services its textile and book donation banks and its high street stores by using a common fleet of vehicles with various carrying capacities. Use of a common fleet gives rise to a vehicle routing problem in which visits to stores are on fixed days of the week with time window constraints and visits to banks (fitted with remote fill-monitoring technology) are made in a timely fashion so that the banks do not become full before collection. A tabu search algorithm was developed to provide vehicle routes for the next day of operation on the basis of the maximization of profit. A longer look-ahead period was not considered because donation rates to banks are highly variable. The algorithm included parameters that specified the minimum fill level (e.g., 50%) required to allow a visit to a bank and a penalty function used to encourage visits to banks that are becoming full. The results showed that the algorithm significantly reduced visits to banks and increased profit by up to 2.4%, with the best performance obtained when the donation rates were more variable

A Comparative Study of the PSO and GA for the m-MDPDPTW

The m-MDPDPTW is the multi-vehicles, multi-depots pick-up and delivery problem with time windows. It is an optimization vehicles routing problem which must meet requests for transport between suppliers and customers for the purpose of satisfying precedence, capacity and time constraints. This problem is a very important class of operational research, which is part of the category of NP-hard problems. Its resolution therefore requires the use of evolutionary algorithms such as Genetic Algorithms (GA) or Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). We present, in this sense, a comparative study between two approaches based respectively on the GA and the PSO for the optimization of m-MDPDPTW. We propose, in this paper, a literature review of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) and the Pick-up and Delivery Problem with Time Windows (PDPTW), present our approaches, whose objective is to give a satisfying solution to the m-MDPDPTW minimizing the total distance travelled. The performance of both approaches is evaluated using various sets instances from [10] PDPTW benchmark data problems. From our study, in the case of m-MDPDPTW problem, the proposed GA reached to better results compared with the PSO algorithm and can be considered the most appropriate model to solve our m-MDPDPTW problem