MODELING AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES IN VEHICLE ROUTING. VEHICLE ROUTING: METHODS AND STUDIES. STUDIES IN MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND SYSTEMS - VOLUME 16

The area of vehicle routing is distinguished by a highly successful interplay between algorithmic techniques and the development of effective routing systems for industry. Consequently, a large body of practical experience with routing problems has accumulated over the last decade. This paper focuses on modeling and implementation issues that arise in practice. We discuss the challenges of model formulation and implementation and illustrate them with examples drawn from practice. Our discussion includes an overview of recent developments in geographical data bases and commercial vehicle routing systems, as well as comments on future directions in routing practice. (Author/TRRL)