Open AccessTwo-echelon transportation optimisation: a meta-narrative analysis
Author(s) -
Jesús González-Feliu
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
working papers on operations management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1989-9068
DOI - 10.4995/wpom.v2i1.804
Subject(s) - vehicle routing problem , notation , order (exchange) , operations research , computer science , business , distribution (mathematics) , narrative review , routing (electronic design automation) , transport engineering , operations management , economics , engineering , finance , psychology , computer network , mathematical analysis , arithmetic , mathematics , psychotherapist
Freight transportation constitutes one of the main activities that influences economy and society, as it assures a vital link between suppliers and customers and it represents a major source of employment. Multi-echelon distribution is one of the most common strategies adopted by the transportation companies in an aim of cost reduction. Although vehicle routing problems are very common in operational research, they are essentially related to single-echelon cases. This paper presents the main concepts of multi-echelon distribution with cross-docks and a unified notation for two-chelon transportation cost optimization. A systematic review is also presented, in order to list the main issues and methods that can be helpful for scientists and transportation practitioners