A practical approach to solving a newspaper logistics problem using a digital map

Abstract

The objective of this study is to find an optimal allocation of newspaper agents and an optimal routes and schedules for newspaper delivery to minimize delivery cost while keeping the total delay time of delivery short. A practical approach was used for solving the problem using heuristic algorithms and a digital map. The Regret Distance algorithm, the Modified Saving algorithm, the Weighted Savings algorithm, the Urgent Route First algorithm and the Modified Urgent Route First algorithm were investigated. As an optimal algorithm, the Regret Distance Calculation algorithm to allocate the agents for each plant, the Weighted Savings algorithm for routing, and the Modified Urgent Route First algorithm for vehicle scheduling were selected. A split delivery scheme was also selected. With these selected algorithms and a split delivery scheme, a method using a computer program was used at newspaper companies for allocation of demand and vehicle routing and scheduling. This computer program was used to validate our proposed method at the Chosun Ilbo company, which is one of the major newspaper company in Korea. It was found that our method saved the delivery cost by 15% and reduced the delay time by 40% on the average compared to the current manual method. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.