THE STATE OF THE ART IN THE ROUTING AND SCHEDULING OF VEHICLES AND CREWS

Abstract

This study rests on a fundamental consideration in the distribution of goods, namely, the determination of the most effective and efficient way to transport goods from plant to warehouses to customers. The main focus of this study is on vehicle/crew routing and scheduling. Related problems such as location, districting, and clustering are not discussed in detail. This report presents the state of the art in routing and scheduling of vehicles and crews. It discusses the theoretical bases surrounding many of the problems, and describes in detail many routing and scheduling applications. The report provides a classification of routing and scheduling problems according to their underlying characteristics; discusses many of the issues in implementation; and includes a comprehensive bibliography of references (more than 500 citations) relating to routing and scheduling. This report also presents conclusions and future research topics that include 1) a discussion of the prospects for using routing and scheduling models within real-world settings, and 2) a list of possible directions of future research in the area of routing and scheduling. The authors state that organizations are just starting to realize the potential for savings resulting from the automation of their routing and scheduling activities. They also advocate the development of general purpose computer software systems that would include a flexible interactive user interface, and a data-base system that is easy to understand and manipultate. (UMTA)