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A synthesis of assignment and heuristic solutions for vehicle routing with time windows

Author

Listed:
  • G Ioannou

    (Athens University of Economics and Business)

  • M N Kritikos

    (Athens University of Economics and Business)

Abstract

This paper proposes a three-stage method for the vehicle-routing problem with time window constraints (VRPTW). Using the Hungarian method the optimal customer matching for an assignment approximation of the VRPTW, which is a travel time-based relaxation that partially respects the time windows, is obtained. The assignment matching is transformed into feasible routes of the VRPTW via a simple decoupling heuristic. The best of these routes, in terms of travelling and vehicle waiting times, form part of the final solution, which is completed by the routes provided by heuristic methods applied to the remainder of the customers. The proposed approach is tested on a set of standard literature problems, and improves the results of the heuristic methods with respect to total travel time. Furthermore, it provides useful insights into the effect of employing optimal travel time solutions resulting from the assignment relaxation to derive partial route sets of the VRPTW.

Suggested Citation

  • G Ioannou & M N Kritikos, 2004. "A synthesis of assignment and heuristic solutions for vehicle routing with time windows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(1), pages 2-11, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:55:y:2004:i:1:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601659
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601659
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. G Ioannou & M Kritikos & G Prastacos, 2001. "A greedy look-ahead heuristic for the vehicle routing problem with time windows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 52(5), pages 523-537, May.
    2. Roberto Wolfler Calvo, 2000. "A New Heuristic for the Traveling Salesman Problem with Time Windows," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 113-124, February.
    3. Laporte, Gilbert, 1992. "The vehicle routing problem: An overview of exact and approximate algorithms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 345-358, June.
    4. Martin Desrochers & Jacques Desrosiers & Marius Solomon, 1992. "A New Optimization Algorithm for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 40(2), pages 342-354, April.
    5. Guy Desaulniers & Daniel Villeneuve, 2000. "The Shortest Path Problem with Time Windows and Linear Waiting Costs," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 312-319, August.
    6. A. W. J. Kolen & A. H. G. Rinnooy Kan & H. W. J. M. Trienekens, 1987. "Vehicle Routing with Time Windows," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 35(2), pages 266-273, April.
    7. Niklas Kohl & Oli B. G. Madsen, 1997. "An Optimization Algorithm for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows Based on Lagrangian Relaxation," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 45(3), pages 395-406, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. P P Repoussis & C D Tarantilis & G Ioannou, 2007. "The open vehicle routing problem with time windows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(3), pages 355-367, March.
    2. Calvete, Herminia I. & Gale, Carmen & Oliveros, Maria-Jose & Sanchez-Valverde, Belen, 2007. "A goal programming approach to vehicle routing problems with soft time windows," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(3), pages 1720-1733, March.

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