topic Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order in ArcGIS Network Analyst Questions

VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

KoenVeenenbos — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 12:11:20 GMT

Hello GeoNet,

I am working on a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), with network analyst in ArcGIS 10.5.1, for a number of depots and orders in the city Berlin (Germany). From the distribution centres (depots) trucks will supply supermarkets (orders).

The supermarkets have a specific number of tons they need to get delivered. This number is present in the attribute table. The number of tons differs between 11 and 106. The trucks have a capacity of 30 tons, which means that some supermarkets can be supply at once, but others need several truck loads.

My problem is that only supermarkets that ask for less than 30 tons are reached. All the supermarkets which require more than one delivery (more than 30 tons) are skipped by the trucks.

I already applied the route renewals to the trucks, so they are refilled after suppling a supermarket.

Does somebody know how I can let the truck also deliver to the supermarkets, which require more than 30 tons of goods?

Thank you in advance.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

XanderBakker — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 12:40:15 GMT

Maybe not the best option, but could you try duplicate the supermarkets with a demand higher than 30. So the supermarket with a demand of 106 would be represented by 4 points (3 with a value of 30 and 1 with a value of 16 for instance). There may be other options to account for type of situation.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

KoenVeenenbos — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:28:23 GMT

Thank you for the idea. It could be a good work around.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

XanderBakker — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:35:36 GMT

Just in case, since I am not an expert in NA I will CC jsandhu-esristaff who is. I'm sure he can confirm if there is some way you can configure this without having to duplicate geometries.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

KoenVeenenbos — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:52:27 GMT

That would be very nice. I would love to hear if he has any recommendations.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

HeatherMoe — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 17:28:15 GMT

Xander's description of creating multiple orders that fit under the capacity limit is correct and the best workaround for this problem.

Note: The following is only an additional option but not needed if it isn't a part of your business model.

If you have all of your trucks the same you could also use a specialty for those duplicate orders and one truck so that the same truck delivers all of them with the renewals you already have set up. That added complexity really is only needed if you have the business constraint of the same truck delivering all of the food to the supermarket. In the example above from Xander you could make the first three have the specialty along with one truck and then the partial order could either be included with the same specialty in which case the same truck would also deliver the final portion but it would limit the optimization on the less then truck load runs. Or you could leave the last partial order without the specialty which would allow for all of the less then truck load deliveries to be be considered on every truck to find the best way to deliver that part also.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

XanderBakker — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:52:09 GMT

Hi HMoe-esristaff , thanks for the clarification!

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

KoenVeenenbos — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:07:05 GMT

Thank you for your answer and the clarification Heather Moe.

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

GarrettMelvin — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 20:07:46 GMT

I have a similar challenge. My orders class has multiple points at the same location, between 1 and 8 delivery quantities. Each route capacity is 8. In our business model, it is preferred, but not required that all orders get serviced by a single truck. I would like to setup the VRP to service all orders at one location whenever possible, and then group other orders as necessary. Is this possible?

Also, I ran a simulation of orders with an assignment rule to honor a set of past routes. The VRP solves, but after changing all orders assignment rule to override, the solution does not solve with all orders serviced. Why would the VRP not solve if a solution is possible?

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

HeatherMoe — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 21:57:58 GMT

Hello,

If you are wanting the orders at the same location to be serviced by the same truck then you should consolidate those orders into one making sure to adjust the quantities and service times accordingly. This way they will be considered a single order and be placed on the same route. Make sure to not combine too many so that the quantity becomes bigger then the capacity. The order location will not be routed if that is the case.

By consolidating points like this it also reduces the complexity of the problem sent to the VRP which usually makes for better results from the heuristic.

Hope this helps,

Heather

Re: VRP Multiple deliveries to one order

PaulMattern1 — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:59:39 GMT

There is a "Routes" setting that comes to mind that addresses this, I believe.

ARRIVE DEPART DELAY setting:

"This field stores the amount of travel time needed to accelerate the vehicle to normal travel speeds, decelerate it to a stop, and move it off and on the network (for example, in and out of parking). By including an ArriveDepartDelay value, the VRP solver is deterred from sending many routes to service physically coincident orders.

The cost for this property is incurred between visits to noncoincident orders, depots, and route renewals. For example, when a route starts from a depot and visits the first order, the total arrive/depart delay is added to the travel time. The same is true when traveling from the first order to the second order. If the second and third orders are coincident, the ArriveDepartDelay value is not added between them since the vehicle doesn't need to move. If the route travels to a route renewal, the value is added to the travel time again. Although a vehicle needs to slow down and stop for a break and accelerate afterwards, the VRP solver cannot add the ArriveDepartDelay value for breaks. This means that if a route leaves an order, stops for a break, and continues to the next order, the arrive/depart delay is added only once, not twice.

Say there are five coincident orders in a high-rise building, and they are serviced by three different routes. This means three arrive/depart delays would be incurred; that is, three drivers would need to find parking places and enter the same building. However, if the orders could be serviced by just one route instead, only one driver would need to park and enter the building—only one arrive/depart delay would be incurred. Since the VRP solver tries to minimize cost, it will try to limit the arrive/depart delays and thus choose the single-route option. (Note that multiple routes may need to be sent when other constraints—such as specialties, time windows, or capacities—require it.)

The unit for this field value is specified by the Time Field Units property of the analysis layer."