Skip to main content
Log in

Optimizing routes and stock

  • Published:
Journal of Heuristics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This work is motivated by a problem proposed to the authors by a bakery company in Northern Spain. The objective is to design the daily routes over the week in order to minimize the total traveled distance. For reducing this total distance, some flexibility in the dates of delivery is introduced, which will cause a stock. Therefore, we study the problem under the bi-objective perspective, “minimizing” simultaneously the total traveled distance and the stock. A bi-objective mixed-integer linear model for the problem is formulated and two methodologies of solution are presented. The first one is based on a series of linked variable neighborhood searches and the second one is based on NSGA-II provided of specific operators. Numerical results showing the obtained estimated Pareto front in both cases are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahuja, R., Magnanti, T., Orlin, J.: Network Flows: Theory, Algorithms and Applications. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1993)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Beasley, J.: Route–first cluster–second methods for vehicle routing. Omega 11, 403–408 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, J.: Fast algorithms for geometric traveling salesman problems. ORSA J. Comput. 4, 387–411 (1992)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Caballero, R., Gonzalez, M., Guerrero, F.M., Molina, J., Paralera, C.: Solving a multiobjective location routing problem with a metaheuristic based on tabu search. Application to a real case in Andalusia. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 177(3), 1751–1763 (2007)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Deb, K., Pratap, A., Argwal, S., Meyarivan, T.: A fast and elitist multiobjective genetic algorithm: NSGA-II. IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput. 6, 182–197 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dijkstra, E.: A note on two problems in connexion with graphs. Numer. Math. 1, 269–271 (1959)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrgott, M.: Multicriteria Optimization, 2nd edn. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, M., Jaikumar, R.: A generalized assignment heuristics for vehicle routing problem. Networks 11, 109–124 (1981)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Jozefowiez, N., Semet, F., Talbi, E.-G.: From single-objective to multiobjective vehicle routing problems: Motivations, case studies, and methods. In: Golden, B.L., Raghavan, S., Wasil, E. (eds.) The Vehicle Routing Problem: Latest Advances and New Challenges, pp. 445–471. Springer, Berlin (2008a)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jozefowiez, N., Semet, F., Talbi, E.-G.: Multi–objective vehicle routing problems. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 189, 293–309 (2008b)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Martello, S., Toth, P.: Knapsack Problems Algorithms and Computer Implementations. Wiley, New York (1990)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Or, I.: Traveling Salesman Type Combinatorial Problems and their relations to the logistics of blood banking. Dissertation, Northwestern University (1976)

  • Pacheco, J., Alvarez, A., García, I., Angel-Bello, F.: Optimizing vehicle routes in a bakery company allowing flexibility in delivery dates. J. Oper. Res. Soc. (2011). doi:10.1057/jors.2011.51

    Google Scholar 

  • Prins, C.: A simple and effective evolutionary algorithm for the vehicle routing problem. Comput. Oper. Res. 31, 1985–2002 (2004)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Romero, C.: Teoría de la Decisión Multicriterio: Conceptos, Técnicas y Aplicaciones. Alianza Universidad Textos. Alianza Editorial, Madrid (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  • Taillard, E., Badeau, P., Gendreau, M., Potvin, J.: A tabu search heuristic for the vehicle routing problem with time windows. Transp. Sci. 31, 170–186 (1997)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Toth, P., Vigo, D. (eds.): The Vehicle Routing Problem. SIAM. Monographs on Discrete Mathematical and Applications. SIAM, Philadelphia (2002)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Zitzler, E., Thiele, L.: Multiobjective evolutionary algorithms: a comparative case study and the strength Pareto approach. IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput. 3, 257–271 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irma García.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

García, I., Pacheco, J. & Alvarez, A. Optimizing routes and stock. J Heuristics 19, 157–177 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10732-011-9182-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10732-011-9182-2

Keywords

Navigation