A decision support system for strategic, tactical and operational visit planning for on-the-road personnel

Abstract

The use of a decision support system (DSS) for efficiently optimising and managing field workers’ visits is discussed. This tool was designed after years of consulting experience and algorithmic research. It includes not only an innovative memetic algorithm to solve very large problems with realistic features and constraints, but also analytic tools and mapping capabilities to compare scenarios. As practitioners, we include some insights from case studies done at strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels. The system solves scenarios at all three decision levels simultaneously, not sequentially. The empirical studies highlight some misconceptions that are present in industry in planning visits for on-the-road personnel activities.