A fuzzy mathematics based optimal delivery scheduling approach

Abstract An optimal scheduling approach has been developed for coordinating product delivery activities using fuzzy mathematics. In this approach, optimal delivery scheduling is carried out at three different levels, for situations involving: (1) one driver and one load, (2) one driver and multiple loads, and (3) multiple drivers and multiple loads. Fuzzy-based clustering methods are employed to classify delivery tasks into driver groups, load groups, and location groups. The optimal sequence and timing parameters of delivery tasks are identified using the fuzzy mathematics based clustering results and state-space search. The intelligent optimal delivery scheduling system was implemented using Smalltalk, an object oriented programming language.

[1]  Nils J. Nilsson,et al.  Artificial Intelligence , 1974, IFIP Congress.

[2]  E. Munoko,et al.  Computers in Industry , 1963, Nature.

[3]  G. Clarke,et al.  Scheduling of Vehicles from a Central Depot to a Number of Delivery Points , 1964 .

[4]  George L. Nemhauser,et al.  The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Survey , 1968, Oper. Res..

[5]  Monte Zweben,et al.  Learning to Improve Constraint-Based Scheduling , 1992, Artif. Intell..

[6]  Bernard Horan,et al.  Smalltalk: an introduction to application development using VisualWorks , 1995 .

[7]  N. E. Collins,et al.  Simulated annealing - an annotated bibliography , 1988 .

[8]  Nicos Christofides,et al.  Distribution management : mathematical modelling and practical analysis , 1971 .

[9]  Stephen C. Graves,et al.  A Review of Production Scheduling , 1981, Oper. Res..

[10]  Bruce Russell,et al.  AI-Based Schedulers in Manufacturing Practice: Report of a Panel Discussion , 1990, AI Mag..

[11]  Karl G. Kempf,et al.  AI-based schedulers in manufacturing practice , 1991 .

[12]  Norman M. Sadeh,et al.  Constrained Heuristic Search , 1989, IJCAI.

[13]  Mark S. Fox,et al.  Constraint-Directed Search: A Case Study of Job-Shop Scheduling , 1987 .

[14]  M. Balinski,et al.  On an Integer Program for a Delivery Problem , 1964 .

[15]  Mark S. Fox,et al.  Intelligent Scheduling , 1998 .

[16]  James C. Bezdek,et al.  Pattern Recognition with Fuzzy Objective Function Algorithms , 1981, Advanced Applications in Pattern Recognition.

[17]  Mark S. Fox,et al.  Distribution Planning: An Integration of Constraint Satisfaction & Heuristic Search Techniques , 1990 .

[18]  A. J. Clewett,et al.  Introduction to sequencing and scheduling , 1974 .