Vehicle routing (VR) is critical in successful logistics execution. The emergence of technologies and information systems allowing for seamless mobile and wireless connectivity between delivery vehicles and distribution facilities is paving the way for innovative approaches to real-time VR and distribution management. This paper investigates avenues for building upon recent trends in VR-related research towards an integrated approach to real-time distribution management. A review of the advances to-date in both fields, i.e. the relevant research in the VR problem and the advances in mobile technologies, forms the basis of this investigation. Further to setting requirements, we propose a system architecture for urban distribution and real-time event-driven vehicle management.
Wireless positioning determination has received increased attention during the past few years. Several wireless applications have been envisaged when mobile terminal location can be determined with sufficient accuracy at any time. In this paper, we attempt to identify the various indoor and outdoor positioning techniques that can be used for the provision of mobile and wireless applications and services. In order to maximize the benefits of this research in the area of positioning technologies, we propose a novel taxonomy with detailed analysis and evaluation of these techniques based on the accuracy that is needed for various mobile location-based services.
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The paper examines the circumstances of success in telematic use and strategic effects resulting from the implementation and use of such technologies from SMEs in the Greek Market. Design/methodology/approach -The analysis is based on a three-phased triangulated research methodology; that is literature review, interviews from 15 logistics directors and a questionnaire survey of 73 logistics SMEs in Greece. Findings -The basic finding that has been derived from both phases 2 and 3 (survey and interviews) is that although the penetration of telematics is still low in Greece, logistics operators understand the importance of mobile services and they already know which they plan to their customers. Research limitations/implications -An inherent limitation of this survey is the fact that it address, like all surveys, the requirements of its respondents only, without taking into account. Originality/value -This paper explores customer perceptions and requirements for the implementation of mobile real-time support services for city logistics. The requirements, elicited by the results of the survey, are used to propose a systemic representation of a real-time vehicle management mechanism for urban transportation.
This paper considers a problem in which an unexpected event immobilises a vehicle of a distribution fleet permanently, and the remaining vehicles are rerouted to serve some of the clients of the failed vehicle. We model this case as a variation of the Team Orienteering Problem (TOP), constraining all vehicle routes to an upper time, or distance, limit, and taking into account the limited capacity of the fleet vehicles. The problem requires an effective solution in almost real time. We propose a new heuristic to provide efficient solutions within this strict computational time constraint. To test the quality of the heuristic, we have developed and validated a Genetic Algorithm (GA) that obtains high quality (but computationally expensive) solutions. The solutions of the heuristic compare favorably to those obtained by the GA. The latter has also been tested successfully in a real-time fleet management system.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to formulate and solve a new emergency evacuation planning problem. This problem addresses the needs of both able and disabled persons who are evacuated from multiple pick-up locations and transported using a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles. Design/methodology/approach The problem is formulated using a mixed integer linear programming model and solved using a heuristic algorithm. The authors analyze the selected heuristic with respect to key parameters and use it to address theoretical and practical case studies. Findings Evacuating people with disabilities has a significant impact on total evacuation time, due to increased loading/unloading times. Additionally, increasing the number of large capacity vehicles adapted to transport individuals with disabilities benefits total evacuation time. Research limitations/implications The mathematical model is of high complexity and it is not possible to obtain exact solutions in reasonable computational times. The efficiency of the heuristic has not been analyzed with respect to optimality. Practical implications Solving the problem by a heuristic provides a fast solution, a requirement in emergency evacuation cases, especially when the state of the theater of the emergency changes dynamically. The parametric analysis of the heuristic provides valuable insights in improving an emergency evacuation system. Social implications Efficient population evacuation studied in this work may save lives. This is especially critical for disabled evacuees, the evacuation of whom requires longer operational times. Originality/value The authors consider a population that comprises able and disabled individuals, the latter with varying degrees of disability. The authors also consider a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, which perform multiple trips during the evacuation process.
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