Goal programming vehicle routing for heterogeneous beverage distribution in a megacity: a case study from Lima and its implications

Abstract

Urban freight transportation is part of a complex system where goods move continuously from origin to destination in perfect orchestration. Beverage transport is essential in urban logistics since it is related to the excellent operability of the Ho.Re.Ca. Sector. This paper proposes to model the complex beverage distribution system of a company in a megacity, facing the challenge of considering many heterogeneous elements and optimizing them in a new solution. First, a goal programming modeling approach is proposed, defining the application field's main goals and hypotheses. Second, a solving method based on an MIP model in a commercial solver is defined. Then, a scenario generation-assessment procedure for Lima conurbation is proposed, defining a set of instances with 10–200 customers and solving them. Results show that the proposed framework can solve to optimality real-life instances up to 40 customers and gives acceptable solutions in terms of gap in real-life instances up to 120 customers, which reflects the complexity of the beverage distribution reality and shows the method's suitability to support both company's operations and urban territorial development in megacities, showing how efficiency and be increased and supporting decisions in terms of vehicle or organization changes in beverage distribution.