Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and Multiple Pick-up and Delivery Locations

The proposed work focuses on addressing the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) and multiple pick-up and delivery locations. This problem involves finding optimal routes for vehicles to serve customers promptly after order placement while minimizing the total distance traveled and the number of vehicles used. The inclusion of multiple pick-up and delivery locations adds complexity, necessitating careful consideration of order readiness and sequencing. The routes must be designed to minimize vehicle travel distance while ensuring orders are picked up only when ready and delivered in the correct order. The Simulated Annealing algorithm, with its effective neighborhood moves and probability selection, proves suitable for optimization. Applied to a dataset of 200 orders, the algorithm generated a solution in just 6.61 s, utilizing 45 vehicles. The average delivery time per order was 44.34 min, demonstrating the efficiency of the routing solution. The proposed approach has the potential to be applied in real-world scenarios, assisting companies in optimizing their delivery operations and improving customer satisfaction.