Enhancing the cost performance in regular humanitarian logistics: location-routing and delivery frequency optimization

Tongxin Liu, Jun Li () and Xihui Wang
Additional contact information
Tongxin Liu: Dongbei University of Finance and Economics
Jun Li: University of Science and Technology of China
Xihui Wang: University of Science and Technology of China

Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, 2024, vol. 36, issue 3, No 13, 1157-1185

Abstract: Abstract Motivation and Justification Regular humanitarian logistics (R-HL) plays an increasingly important role in alleviating suffering of beneficiaries struck by catastrophes and war. A key challenge that humanitarian organizations face is the lack of guidance on decision-making tools when conducting R-HL. Aim of the study A core tenet of this article is to incorporate cost performance in R-HL models to ensure delivery strategies that lead to the greatest good for the greatest number of people with lowest cost. Methodology Our study introduces cost performance, quantifying the alleviation of human suffering per unit economic cost. We formulate a mixed integer fractional programming model for the location-routing and delivery frequency problem with the objective of maximizing the cost performance. The neighborhood search-assisted genetic algorithm is designed to solve the intractable problem. Additionally, using real data from typhoon-prone Shenzhen and flood-affected Hefei in China, we validate our model and demonstrate its effectiveness. Findings Several numerical experiments have revealed that cost performance can provide moderate transportation and delivery strategies in both decreasing suffering of beneficiaries and lowering the cost according to comparisons with other objectives such as social costs minimization. Significance and originality Our study proposes a new objective function for efficiency and effectiveness trade-offs and suggests the use of cost performance as the preferred objective function for R-HL models.

Keywords: Regular humanitarian logistics; Location-routing and delivery frequency; Cost performance; Deprivation costs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10696-023-09512-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:flsman:v:36:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s10696-023-09512-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/10696

DOI: 10.1007/s10696-023-09512-y

Access Statistics for this article

Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal is currently edited by Hans Günther

More articles in Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().