Optimal logistics strategy to distribute medicines in clinics and hospitals

Abstract

This document presents a methodology for the optimal selection of the vehicle fleet necessary to distribute medical products from the company’s storage center to many intermediate transfer nodes, and from these to a group of public hospitals. The problem addressed is a real case presented by a company that provides logistics services in the Mexican Republic. An algorithm that incorporates three modified mathematical models was designed for its solution. A version of the Dijkstra algorithm was modified for the solution to develop the clustering of nodes (clinics) within the system. A modified version of the model of the traveling salesman generated the routes of the transports and the sequence of distribution of the products. Finally, a model of mixed integer linear programming provided the quantities and characteristics of the transports to buy.