Designing distribution patterns for long-term inventory routing with constant demand rates

Birger Raa and El-Houssaine Aghezzaf

International Journal of Production Economics, 2008, vol. 112, issue 1, 255-263

Abstract: This paper proposes a practical solution approach for the challenging optimization problem of minimizing overall costs in an integrated distribution and inventory control system. Constant customer demand rates are assumed and therefore a long-term, cyclic planning approach is adopted. The concept of distribution patterns, consisting of vehicles performing multiple tours with possibly different frequencies, is used to extend the traditional concept of a single tour per vehicle. A heuristic is proposed that is capable of solving a cyclical distribution problem involving real-life features, such as customer capacity restrictions, loading and unloading extra times and prespecified minimum times between consecutive deliveries.

Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:proeco:v:112:y:2008:i:1:p:255-263

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