Optimization

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In OR-terms we solve the generalized vehicle routing problem (VRP). Not to optimality, but rather trying to find a "good" solution.

 

4 main kind of tasks are supported:

 

1.On-site - nothing is moved around
2.Pickup at start of route and and delivery at different locations
3.Pickup at different locations and delivery at the end of the route
4.Mixed pickup and delivery, where items can be picked up and delivered along the route

 

There is a lot of flexibility added:

 

A resource period can start / stop at different depots (office, home address etc) or being open ended

Resource types (typically vehicles) can have different capacities and costs

Resources and jobs can have competences associated with them, so only resources with the correct competence gets matched with a job

A job can pick up goods from one location and deliver it to another location (mixed pickup and delivery)

A job can have multiple time windows defined (execute the job during one time window or another)

Service time (time to execute a job) can be defined very flexible

 

This setup covers a lot of scheduling tasks in many industries, such as school bus routing, scheduling of maintenance jobs, delivery of various goods etc. In the chapter describing the input XML these are explained in more detail.

 

Target

To minimize cost as defined by the resource types.