Capacitated rural postman problem with time windows and split delivery

Abstract

The importance of effective and efficient distribution is evident from its associated costs. Transportation and shipping alone comprise roughly 15 percent of a product's sales in the U.S. Physical distribution is very energy and labor intensive, which have both become relatively more expensive in the last 10-15 years. Not surprisingly, there is a growing demand for automated planning systems that produce economical routes. Other than the cost savings, introduction of these systems enables companies to maintain a higher level of service for their customers, it makes them less dependent on human planners, it supplies better management information facilities and it makes distribution planning work faster and simpler.