Agent-Based Simulation Model for Evaluating Urban Freight Policy to E-Commerce

Roberta Alves, Renato da Silva Lima, David Custódio de Sena, Alexandre Ferreira de Pinho and José Holguín-Veras
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Roberta Alves: Mechanical Department, Federal University of São João del Rei, Minas Gerais 36307-353, Brazil
Renato da Silva Lima: Industrial Engineering and Management Institute, Federal University of Itajubá, Minas Gerais 37500-903, Brazil
David Custódio de Sena: Environmental Sciences and Engineering Department, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil
Alexandre Ferreira de Pinho: Industrial Engineering and Management Institute, Federal University of Itajubá, Minas Gerais 37500-903, Brazil
José Holguín-Veras: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: This study aims to assess delivery lockers as a last-mile solution, considering the behavior and interaction among e-commerce stakeholders. In Brazil, a large portion of deliveries are attended home. This results in a large number of failed deliveries and redelivery attempts, which can reach up to three delivery attempts. Delivery lockers (DL) represent a solution to reduce the number of re-deliveries and consolidate the delivery of goods. The implementation of DL and the exclusion of the third delivery attempt are evaluated in this study via an agent-based simulation model (ABSM) in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Four scenarios were simulated by varying delivery locker implementation and the exclusion of the third attempts, which allowed comparable results to be obtained for each agent, in terms of gains and operational and external costs (emission, noise, and congestion). The scenario that most closely resembles the current situation was the one that presented the worst results. The implementation of the lockers brings improvements to this scenario in terms of reducing re-deliveries and distances traveled by trucks. When the possibility of three delivery attempts is excluded, the benefits are even greater. The deployment of lockers also enables carriers to reduce the number of trucks required to make deliveries, thereby increasing their profits.

Keywords: delivery lockers; city logistics; simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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