Title: Capacitated vehicle routing problem using genetic algorithm: a case of cement distribution

Authors: Tanzila Azad; M. Ahsan Akhtar Hasin

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh ' Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract: Vehicle routing problem is a multi-objective problem. The problem involves optimising a fleet of vehicles that are to serve a number of customers from a central depot. Each vehicle has limited capacity and each customer has a certain demand. A procedure is introduced for the optimisation of a customer order service management system with a structured distribution network of a cement company of Bangladesh. The goal of the research is to find a solution of vehicle routing problem using genetic algorithm. It generates feasible clusters of resellers or distributors and determines delivery sequence and an optimal distribution network to meet demands by travelling minimum distance. The results of the study show that genetic algorithm provides a search technique used in computing to find true or approximate solution of search problems. The technique is able to determine the optimum route for the vehicles, while maintaining their constraints to get an optimal distribution network that minimises the total travelling distance.

Keywords: capacitated vehicle routing; optimal route; genetic algorithm.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2019.097077

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2019 Vol.32 No.1, pp.132 - 146

Received: 11 Jan 2017
Accepted: 29 Aug 2017
Published online: 18 Dec 2018 *

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