IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/navres/v54y2007i2p136-150.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Flexibility and complexity in periodic distribution problems

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Francis
  • Karen Smilowitz
  • Michal Tzur

Abstract

In this paper, we explore trade‐offs between operational flexibility and operational complexity in periodic distribution problems. We consider the gains from operational flexibility in terms of vehicle routing costs and customer service benefits, as well as the costs of operational complexity in terms of modeling, solution methods, and implementation challenges for drivers and customers. The period vehicle routing problem (PVRP) is a variation of the classic vehicle routing problem in which delivery routes are constructed for a period of time; the PVRP with service choice (PVRP‐SC) extends the PVRP to allow service (visit) frequency to become a decision of the model. For the periodic distribution problems represented by PVRP and PVRP‐SC, we introduce operational flexibility levers and a set of quantitative measures to evaluate the trade‐offs between flexibility and complexity. We develop a Tabu Search heuristic to incorporate a range of operational flexibility options. We analyze the potential value and the increased operational complexity of the flexibility levers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Francis & Karen Smilowitz & Michal Tzur, 2007. "Flexibility and complexity in periodic distribution problems," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(2), pages 136-150, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:navres:v:54:y:2007:i:2:p:136-150
    DOI: 10.1002/nav.20195
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.20195
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/nav.20195?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michel Gendreau & Alain Hertz & Gilbert Laporte, 1994. "A Tabu Search Heuristic for the Vehicle Routing Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(10), pages 1276-1290, October.
    2. Francis, Peter & Smilowitz, Karen, 2006. "Modeling techniques for periodic vehicle routing problems," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 872-884, December.
    3. Tan, C.C.R. & Beasley, J.E., 1984. "A heuristic algorithm for the period vehicle routing problem," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 497-504.
    4. Angelelli, Enrico & Grazia Speranza, Maria, 2002. "The periodic vehicle routing problem with intermediate facilities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(2), pages 233-247, March.
    5. Anton J. Kleywegt & Vijay S. Nori & Martin W. P. Savelsbergh, 2002. "The Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem with Direct Deliveries," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(1), pages 94-118, February.
    6. Peter Francis & Karen Smilowitz & Michal Tzur, 2006. "The Period Vehicle Routing Problem with Service Choice," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(4), pages 439-454, November.
    7. S. Anily & A. Federgruen, 1990. "One Warehouse Multiple Retailer Systems with Vehicle Routing Costs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(1), pages 92-114, January.
    8. Lap Mui Ann Chan & Awi Federgruen & David Simchi-Levi, 1998. "Probabilistic Analyses and Practical Algorithms for Inventory-Routing Models," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 46(1), pages 96-106, February.
    9. Fred Blakeley & Burçin Argüello & Buyang Cao & Wolfgang Hall & Joseph Knolmajer, 2003. "Optimizing Periodic Maintenance Operations for Schindler Elevator Corporation," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 33(1), pages 67-79, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jeffrey W. Ohlmann & Michael J. Fry & Barrett W. Thomas, 2008. "Route Design for Lean Production Systems," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(3), pages 352-370, August.
    2. Karen Smilowitz & Maciek Nowak & Tingting Jiang, 2013. "Workforce Management in Periodic Delivery Operations," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 214-230, May.
    3. Vera C. Hemmelmayr & Karl F. Doerner & Richard F. Hartl & Daniele Vigo, 2014. "Models and Algorithms for the Integrated Planning of Bin Allocation and Vehicle Routing in Solid Waste Management," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 103-120, February.
    4. Attila A. Kovacs & Bruce L. Golden & Richard F. Hartl & Sophie N. Parragh, 2015. "The Generalized Consistent Vehicle Routing Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(4), pages 796-816, November.
    5. Ann-Kathrin Rothenbächer, 2019. "Branch-and-Price-and-Cut for the Periodic Vehicle Routing Problem with Flexible Schedule Structures," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(3), pages 850-866, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Song, Ruidian & Zhao, Lei & Van Woensel, Tom & Fransoo, Jan C., 2019. "Coordinated delivery in urban retail," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 122-148.
    2. Peter Francis & Karen Smilowitz & Michal Tzur, 2006. "The Period Vehicle Routing Problem with Service Choice," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(4), pages 439-454, November.
    3. Aksen, Deniz & Kaya, Onur & Sibel Salman, F. & Tüncel, Özge, 2014. "An adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm for a selective and periodic inventory routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 239(2), pages 413-426.
    4. Lei, Chao & Zhang, Qian & Ouyang, Yanfeng, 2017. "Planning of parking enforcement patrol considering drivers’ parking payment behavior," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 375-392.
    5. Ali Diabat & Tarek Abdallah & Tung Le, 2016. "A hybrid tabu search based heuristic for the periodic distribution inventory problem with perishable goods," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 242(2), pages 373-398, July.
    6. S Coene & A Arnout & F C R Spieksma, 2010. "On a periodic vehicle routing problem," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(12), pages 1719-1728, December.
    7. Rodríguez-Martín, Inmaculada & Yaman, Hande, 2022. "Periodic Vehicle Routing Problem with Driver Consistency and service time optimization," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 468-484.
    8. Jeffrey W. Ohlmann & Michael J. Fry & Barrett W. Thomas, 2008. "Route Design for Lean Production Systems," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(3), pages 352-370, August.
    9. Nair, D.J. & Grzybowska, H. & Fu, Y. & Dixit, V.V., 2018. "Scheduling and routing models for food rescue and delivery operations," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 18-32.
    10. Roberto Baldacci & Enrico Bartolini & Aristide Mingozzi & Andrea Valletta, 2011. "An Exact Algorithm for the Period Routing Problem," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 59(1), pages 228-241, February.
    11. Nasr Al-Hinai & Chefi Triki, 2020. "A two-level evolutionary algorithm for solving the petrol station replenishment problem with periodicity constraints and service choice," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 286(1), pages 325-350, March.
    12. Davis, Lauren B. & Sengul, Irem & Ivy, Julie S. & Brock, Luther G. & Miles, Lastella, 2014. "Scheduling food bank collections and deliveries to ensure food safety and improve access," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 175-188.
    13. Mohd Kamarul Irwan Abdul Rahim & El-Houssaine Aghezzaf & Veronique Limère & Birger Raa, 2016. "Analysing the effectiveness of vendor-managed inventory in a single-warehouse, multiple-retailer system," International Journal of Systems Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(8), pages 1953-1965, June.
    14. Ali Ekici & Okan Örsan Özener & Gültekin Kuyzu, 2015. "Cyclic Delivery Schedules for an Inventory Routing Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(4), pages 817-829, November.
    15. Leandro C. Coelho & Jean-François Cordeau & Gilbert Laporte, 2014. "Thirty Years of Inventory Routing," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, February.
    16. Rodríguez-Martín, Inmaculada & Salazar-González, Juan-José & Yaman, Hande, 2019. "The periodic vehicle routing problem with driver consistency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(2), pages 575-584.
    17. Oğuz Solyalı & Haldun Süral, 2011. "A Branch-and-Cut Algorithm Using a Strong Formulation and an A Priori Tour-Based Heuristic for an Inventory-Routing Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(3), pages 335-345, August.
    18. Dong, Zhijie & Turnquist, Mark A., 2015. "Combining service frequency and vehicle routing for managing supplier shipments," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 231-243.
    19. Ann-Kathrin Rothenbächer, 2017. "Branch-and-Price-and-Cut for the Periodic Vehicle Routing Problem with Flexible Schedule Structures," Working Papers 1714, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
    20. Anton J. Kleywegt & Vijay S. Nori & Martin W. P. Savelsbergh, 2004. "Dynamic Programming Approximations for a Stochastic Inventory Routing Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(1), pages 42-70, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:navres:v:54:y:2007:i:2:p:136-150. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-6750 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.